


Warrior's Honor

by Kirabaros



Series: Chronicles of Absolution Season 2 [4]
Category: Chronicles of Absolution, Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-05-29 01:38:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 100,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15062222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: 2.04. It is the season of Akhet, the annual flooding of the Nile and the Tournament of Souls is on, and Sam's ticket is up to step in the ring. Trouble ensues and it is up to the Winchesters and Co. to prevent disaster and discover the meaning of honor.





	1. Chapter 1

_Now_

It was quiet… too quiet. Yet there was something there. The only way to find out who was there was to investigate. Yet one had to be careful. There were just too many places for someone to hide. Suddenly that quiet was broken by the sound of footsteps as the owner of a pair of boots crunched on the dirt.

Dean walked slowly through the yard. He held his gun up in the ready position. Experience taught him that when it was that quiet you had to be doubly alert. With the things he had hunted over the years, he knew that the worse ones tend to attack when it was quiet. He rounded the corner of a stack of junkers slowly when he heard a noise.

He backed into the stack, pressing his body against it. Someone was nearby. Dean cocked his gun, ready to fire. He was going to get the surprise on them. Taking a deep breath, Dean whirled around the corner and whipped his gun into position to fire. The person in his sights had him surprised.

“Dammit, Sam! I almost hit you,” Dean hissed in a heated whisper.

Sam had been going through his half and somehow ended up where Dean was checking out. The funny thing was he had been through that place before but everything seemed different. Maybe it had something to do with how quiet it was. When Dean pulled his gun on him and hissed at him, he gave the bitch face and replied, “Well you didn’t. So what did you find?”

Dean knew that Sam was focused on what they were doing here. In fact over the past month Dean noticed that Sam had become more focused and less moody. He had an idea why and he was rather glad of it. He replied, “Nothing so far but I don’t like it. It’s too quiet for my liking.”

Sam looked around as he held the shotgun he had been carrying. “I didn’t find anything and I’m not sure how I ended up here. I went through here yesterday.” He frowned a little as he looked around. “Dean, I think things have been moved around.”

Dean looked around. Sam was right. “Yeah I think so too. We should go and find…”

A noise startled both of them. It was instinct for them both to bring up their guns and point in a general direction. Dean looked around. Ever since this day started it had been one strange thing after another but he and Sam took this on and he had to open his big mouth and say that they could handle it. He turned back to find that Sam had gone on a little bit. He hissed, “Sam.”

Sam stopped and looked at Dean. He watched as his brother motioned for him to stay put… well try to tell him to stay put. Dean’s gestures sometimes were not always clear even though they could pretty much read each other when it was required of them. He frowned a little and tried to make out what Dean wanted when suddenly two black clad men jumped in front of him just as two more jumped in front of Dean.

It was fast for Dean as his gun was kicked out of his hand. He felt punches delivered to his diaphragm and he felt winded. He recovered though just enough to counter the next few swings by blocking them with his forearms. As he did so, more of the black clad guys jumped from out of nowhere. They were quick and out for blood. Glancing over he saw that Sam was being taken on by at least five of them at once.

Dean couldn’t help but give a slight smirk. The size of his brother always drew more thugs than necessary. He knew though that Sam could take care of his own and he proved it by shoving his attackers off and giving a good kick to one of them. Meanwhile Dean took on his guys with vigor, blocking and striking but it was hard work.

These guys were able to take a punch and they delivered them just as hard. Still Dean was able to wear down the ones that came across him. He ended up with a few bruises for sure but nothing that a good salve could ease. When he looked up, Sam was nowhere in sight. Sighing in annoyance he took off in a systematic search of his brother. Along the way more of those black clad men jumped out to attack him. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Sam managed to fight off his attackers but he had been pushed away from his brother. Now he was in a different part of the area and he could hear sounds of his attackers and his brother shouting as he punched the living daylights out of his own attackers. He wandered through the walkways created by the piles of junkers and parts. Rounding a corner, he found his way into a clearing; a place he hadn’t seen the day before.

Looking around, Sam couldn’t hear the sounds of attack. Now it was quiet again. It was rather nerve wracking as he looked around for any sign of possible attack. He didn’t let his guard down by holding his hands up in the ready position to strike.

A slight noise diverted his attention and he whirled around to look. From behind a black clad figure landed softly. The face was covered by a black scarf leaving nothing open but the eyes. After landing in a crouch behind Sam, it walked forward and waited for him to turn around. When he did, the figure gave a short yell and delivered an open palm thrust to his chest and sent him flying until he landed in the center of the circle.

Sam recovered and faced off his opponent. He had his hands up while the other had theirs down but they were in an attack position. His opponent struck first with the left and gave something like an eight punch combination but there were some kicks added into it. Sam blocked and countered with his own punches and kicks. He took a swing and his opponent ducked and popped back up with a backflip that ended up giving him a kick to the chest.

The kick wasn’t hard but it hurt. Sam recovered though when a punch came towards his blindside and he blocked with his forearm and gave a slight duck. He followed through by wrapping his right arm around his opponent’s arm and flipped them over. He was still holding onto his opponent’s arm when a foot came at him. He grabbed it with his free hand but missed the second foot and he was down on the ground while his opponent recovered into a crouch.

Sam got to his feet and his opponent didn’t move. Instead they held their positions and stared at each other for the longest time. Sudden the black clad opponent sprung forward and began again on another punch and kick combination. Sam countered until they both executed a similar move and grabbed each other by the throat. That led to each combatant trying to get the upper hand with their feet and it was a bit of a dance for a moment.

Sam grunted as he felt the hand tighten slightly to keep a firm grip. It wasn’t a death grip since he had been caught in those before. He tightened his grip on his opponent’s throat and decided to try one maneuver that he had been in before and was trying to learn. With one foot, he aimed for his opponent’s chest but was stopped by the same motion as his opponent and their feet locked. He pushed just as he let go and his opponent did the same and they pushed with equal force and an old science lesson came to mind as he did so.

The result was both of them flying backwards and landing on their backs. Sam’s opponent flipped forward to get back on their feet while Sam sat up. He moved his hand and it brushed against something. He saw that it was a piece of piping that had fallen off. Without a second thought, he picked it up and stood up.

His opponent gave a slight chuckle and ripped off piping from a nearby junker and twirled it. Sam stayed where he was until his opponent launched forward. He brought up his piping to defend himself, using both hands. He felt the blow shimmy down his arms but he held on. Sam countered with strikes of his own.

The clashes went back and forth until they locked in an awkward position and each combatant flung them away. Simultaneously both gave a palm thrust to the chest. Like two forces of reaction there was an equal and opposite reaction and both flew back, landing face down. Sam breathed heavily and looked at his opponent who was breathing just as heavily.

“Awesome Sammy!”

Sam looked at his brother who appeared with the black clad men who attacked them earlier. He then turned to his opponent who was getting to their feet. Removing the headscarf revealed a familiar face who was smirking to hide the pride. “Not bad, Sam.”

Sam made a scoffing sound as he pushed himself to his feet. Dusting himself off, he replied, “Same to you, Angie.”

Angela chuckled as she wound the scarf up. She was wearing a black tunic tucked into black pants. She dusted her pants and boots off and walked towards Sam who was joined by Dean. She gave a survey of everyone involved and said, “Nice work everyone. You were good too Fang Boy.”

Christian gave a mock scowl. “As a favor to you. Thank you for the opportunity.” He then barked an order and the trainees walked away.

Dean watched then leave and muttered, “Fight and run.”

Angela chuckled, “Don’t worry about it Dean. They did their job and it provides good experience. Nothing to worry about.” She then looked at Sam who was catching his breath. She smirked and said, “You almost had me there Sam. I think you’re ready.” The smirk developed into a sad sort of smile before it changed and she said, “Well that’s enough today. How about lunch?” She then took off towards the house leaving behind the two brothers each looking at her with their own peculiar expression.

Dean was the first to say, “Don’t worry too much about it Sam. The whole thing has her nervous though I have every confidence in you.” He followed her.

Sam though wasn’t so sure. The past month had Angela pushing him harder than before and that was after she told him that she appealed to difference forces than crossroad demons on behalf of Dean. It was like she had an increased bounce to her step at times especially during training but as the days got closer, she seemed to withdraw again. Something was bothering her and she was not willing to talk about it. At least not at the moment.

****

Bobby was going through his books and tomes. He wanted to learn everything that he could about this tournament that Angela filled him in on. She had given him the bare bones but he wanted to be sure about it. In resignation, she gave him her book with all the information and explained what he didn’t understand. Now he was reading it again to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

“You still planning on going?”

“Don’t try to convince me otherwise, young lady,” Bobby huffed aware that it was rather ridiculous to refer to Angela as a young lady considering she was _way_ older than he was. To emphasize his point, he pointed at her.

Angela smiled as walked into his study carrying a tray with a sandwich and a beer. She placed it on the desk and stood by the grizzling hunter. “Don’t worry. I’ve given up on that since Dean is just as determined to go.”

“Cause he gets it. You always support your family. Even you should know that.”

Angela gave a slight smile. “Hmm maybe.”

Bobby studied Angela. Every time he saw her the last few days, she always seemed sad or worried. He would often sit with her while she was observing Sam training against the opponent of the day. It couldn’t be the hearing that was to be some time later in the year. She was rather happy with that and everybody who knew was glad that she had her powers back. No it had to be this tournament thing. Looking at her, Bobby frowned a little and then asked, “What is it Angie? You’ve been… off ever since that thing with Bela.”

“It’s not Bela, Bobby.” Angela looked at Bobby and smiled. “And don’t think it’s the hearing either.”

“The tournament then. What? You don’t think that Sam could hold his own?”

Angela glanced around the room. She also tuned her ears. She knew they were both listening to every word that was being spoken. Even Dean’s chomping and poor table manners were rather quiet. She supposed that she had been rather moody and for reasons she could name and some that she couldn’t name. She looked at Bobby and replied, “Bobby, it’s not that I don’t think Sam could hold his own. I’ve seen it since I did set a few Chasers on him the last few times and Fang Boy’s trainees helped.”

“I was thinking more of what you did to him. I saw that.”

“Don’t change the subject, Bobby. I have every confidence in Sam and even Dean could take them on. My problem is that such a thing has lost its purpose. Originally it was about pride and honor, a warrior’s honor, but now it is nothing more than a means of showing off. In ancient times, the original battles were fought as a means of controlling the demons. As the centuries passed when the last of Ancients were imprisoned it still was used as a balance of good and evil but now… nothing but thugs that use any means necessary.”

“That’s why you were hard on both of them.”

“I knew that Dean was going to insist on going. He won’t be participating but there are those who have a disdain for humans. Funny thing is that I feel like I put a weapon into their hands but… if you could’ve seen what I saw in the eyes of those that attacked Sam. You know I used to think that my kind would understand humans better with only a few bad apples.” Angela looked off out the newly repaired window.

That had been a bitch to repair but she managed to do it even after being pestered by the three men in the house. She had to nearly chase them off with a stick insisting that she could do it. It was one of her forms of therapy to work out thoughts and plans. She managed to explain that to them and they backed off. Seeing it made her say, “Now I understand the purpose we were created for.” She then looked at Bobby and smiled and added, “I hope you like it. It’s venison… just don’t tell Dean.”

Bobby watched as she left to head up the stairs to her room. He sighed as he heard the distinct sound of plates clattering as well the hell mutt making a ruckus, probably slobbering over his food. It seemed that the boys were listening to every word and she knew it. Well at least she was being upfront about this whole thing. He dug into his sandwich and was surprised by the smoky flavor and he wondered how in the hell she managed it.

In the kitchen where they were made to sit, Sam and Dean dug in to their lunch. After one taste, Sam knew exactly what it was. Angela actually had him taste it while she was making lunch. When she told him what it was after he asked her what it was he couldn’t help but think of Dean’s reaction when he found out that he was actually eating Bambi. When he looked at Angela, she had that teasing smile on her face that told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“This is really good, Sammy,” Dean was trying to say through a mouthful of meat, bread, lettuce and tomato. He swallowed it and it followed with a gulp of beer. “Seriously this is really good.”

Sam watched his brother eat with relish. He took a bite and gave a slight shake of his head. He was trying to listen to the conversation that was going on in the nearby study where Angela had taken Bobby his lunch. Dean was chomping away and Sam was straining too hard. He wanted to hear what was going on; had to ever since he heard Bobby ask her what was bothering her.

Since Dean was being a little too loud with Sam gave his brother a slight punch, “Dean.” He then motioned with his hands that Dean was to be quiet. He pointed towards the study.

Dean, a little annoyed at the punch Sam gave, looked up and saw the motions. He looked towards the study and upon hearing the voices went quiet to hear what was being said. He glanced at his brother who was straining hard to hear. Dean wasn’t mistaken when he heard Angela talk about her worries.

The upside was that she had confidence in Sam but this whole tournament thing went way back for her. The last line she said though was puzzling and looking at his brother he could tell Sam was probably thinking the same thing. That meant research tonight even though they were supposed to be packing. That or Sam will be bothering Angela about when she was doing her Suzie homemaker thing or something else.

When he heard her footsteps die on the stairs, he whispered to Sam, “Seems like there’s more to this don’t you think. It’s just nothing too bad.”

Sam said nothing but started in on his sandwich. He was deep into thought about the things that Angela had said. The last thing she said though had him troubled. She mentioned that her kind was created for a purpose. For what, he wasn’t sure of and he was sure that it was something that was in that category that she thought would make her hated… as if he and Dean would ever think of her that way.

Dean couldn’t stand the silence but he knew that Sam would obsess through this the whole meal unless he said something. “Well I guess we can expect quite a few things wherever this tournament is being held.”

Sam finished his sandwich not completely listening to what he was saying. He put his empty plate into the sink and grabbed his beer and went into the study. He passed Bobby and headed up to the room that he and Dean were staying in.

Dean followed at a slower pace but was halted when Bobby said, “Been eavesdropping again haven’t ya Dean?”

“Really Bobby?” Dean tried to play it off.

“I ain’t deaf and I ain’t stupid idjit. It was really quiet in there and I know Angie heard it all,” Bobby replied as he took a gulp of his beer. The venison was really good and he was surprised that he could hardly taste the part that made it venison but the smoky flavor was nice and thick.

Dean looked around and then sighed. “Alright we were listening in. Well Sam told me to shut up in not so many words.”

“No duh idjit. I’m surprised you managed to keep quiet with the amount of noise your chewing brings. How much did you hear?”

Dean made a slight face as if to say he didn’t know. He finally replied, “Just up to the part that Angie said that she understood the purpose of her kind. That was all. You know what she meant Bobby?”

“Not a clue Dean,” Bobby replied when there was a slight thump like the sound of books dropping on the ground. He looked up and then back at Dean and said, “Seems like Sam has an idea of where to look and it doesn’t involve asking Angie questions about it.”

Dean gave a nod as he finished off his beer. “You know something Bobby…” He was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked at Bobby who gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. He went to the door and opened it to find a delivery service guy or rather a kid.

“Pardon me, is this the residence of Angela de Malachi?” The kid looked confused as he read the name on the envelope he was delivering.

Dean replied, “Yeah. What do you want?” He realized that he sounded a little protective over Angela but hell when someone came around asking for her, it usually meant trouble with the exception of the trainees that came by.

“Registered letter. I—I need a signature.”

“Give it here. I’m… her brother.”

It was a spur of the moment response and it gave a legitimate excuse to sign for it. Dean did it with a flourish and took the letter before the kid could say anything else and shut the door. He peered at the letter, tempted to open it but he had greater respect for Angela’s stuff. He peered at the envelope and found the seal of the tournament. He knew what it was because she had shown him and Sam what it looked like. “Angie!”

****

The main hall for the tournament was magnificent even with the lights dimmed. It had been designed in the manner of the main halls used in ancient times. In fact they had the Egyptian motifs that signified the first tournaments that coincided with flooding of the Nile. For millennia the tournaments have been held, first for land and power and now profit but that was going to change.

Hakim looked at the main hall with a surveying eye. It had taken many months but he finally managed to start to change the direction the tournament had been going. He was aware that he was still under a lot of heat from the big guys that invested in the gambling portion. It was a disgrace since even the best and those considered the most honorable participated in the gambling portion.

It had been his father’s dream to bring the tournament back to what he called the glory days. It sounded foolish at first since his father was generations removed from remembering those days but his family firmly believed in those days and carried it forward onto future generations. So Hakim decided to carry out his father’s dream, the dream that he had been working on for years in spite of the threats and everything else. After all their family was one of the few that were charged with the honor of hosting the tournament.

“Impressive set up you have.”

Hakim turned to the newcomer. He had met this one before and he technically could kill him or demand that he leave. However the tournament grounds were neutral territory even though that has become harder to define and maintain. He replied, “Part of it is tradition and the rest is honor. I’m not sure that is in your vocabulary… Crowley.”

Crowley looked around at the main hall and then at Hakim. He replied, “Now even you should know that there is honor amongst thieves. Just not the kind of squeaky clean that your family holds to.”

“What do you want? Do you wish to participate?” Hakim knew he had to extend the offer. All could join in no matter what affiliation.

“Me? Oh no. I don’t do anything unless it’s the real deal,” Crowley replied. “I am actually here to commend you on your attempt to bring this back to what it was. I am actually here to see what worthy players are going to be here.”

“And you should know that it will all be revealed in good time.”

“Well I do know that a little sponsorship goes a long way. And that would involve people whose name or title carries weight. It would do quite a bit in getting things the way they should be.”

“It’s a volunteer basis.”

“And that’s exactly what it will be. A volunteer basis exhibition between two of the most well-known combatants in this part of the world.”


	2. Chapter 2

“You plan on making me do all the packing Sam?” Dean was making sure the clothes bag and the weapons bags were packed and ready to go. They had to leave in the morning to make it to where the tournament was being held a day before the thing actually started.

As Angela explained, it was a two day competition. The first day narrowed down the numbers. The second day was the finals and essentially the championship. The night before though was a hoopla that was more like a ‘hi how are you’ party. The point was to show cooperation or something like that. Of course the prospect of food drew Dean.

There were also exhibition bouts in between setups. They were usually re-enactments of past battles or an exhibition of skill. Angela made those sound more desirable than others and Dean probably got the feeling that those were not affected by the present state of things. Maybe he would get what she meant when she told Bobby about honor and all that stuff.

He looked over to see that Sam was engrossed in a book and from the looks of things, it was one of Angela’s books. Great, the kid was obsessing over something she said… again. He walked over and plucked it out of his brother’s hands and began to look through it.

“I was reading that, jerk.”

“No shit, bitch,” Dean replied looking through it. He knew that Sam wasn’t going to try anything since it was Angela’s book and from the looks of it, it was a very old one. Sam had a thing about respecting really old things especially if they belonged to somebody else. He glanced at his brother who was throwing half a bitch face and an angry face which looked pretty comical. “I was talking to you but you were reading this.”

“Give it back Dean.”

“Relax Sam. I just want to know what has you going into full research mode.” Dean held his hand up to calm his brother down. “Hell this whole business has us both getting into shits.” He glanced at what he had been reading. “History lesson?”

Sam didn’t appreciate that Dean grabbed his book. Angela did say they were more than welcome to go through her books but in Sam’s mind that didn’t mean that they treat her stuff like crap. Since there were no more last minute training sessions, he went to read up on… well Angela. Actually it was to read up on her race. All he and Dean knew were what she told them but what she said about her race having a purpose had him thinking. Maybe it would unravel her moodiness if he could understand why.

He sighed and replied to Dean, “Yeah. On her race.”

Dean was reading while listening. “Kind of bloody,” he observed having glossed over the usual flowery language those books generally had.

“No kidding considering that it was a war between vampire clans,” Sam replied giving an annoyed look at Dean. “Dean, her race was more of an accident.”

Dean looked up or rather down at Sam since he was still sitting at the small table where he had been for the past couple of hours. “What do you mean an accident Sam? We’ve come across Halflings before and it’s simple. One human, one whatever and you get a Halfling.”

“Back then it was thought that humans and vampires couldn’t… you know.”

“Well vamps certainly like to feed on us.” Dean continued to look through the book saving Sam from having to go technical with the sex. There were some pen and ink illustrations that were really good. Most were depictions of battles but the detail was awesome.

“Actually it’s a preference. Remember those ‘vegetarian’ vamps?”

“Right. So what happened to this being an accident?” Dean wanted to save himself some time. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do research. He did and was fairly good at it but Sam was the one that was brain child of research. His version of facts usually made things easier and he didn’t have to digest all the fancy language.

“It’s kind of mucky but one of the vamps that became the predecessor of the ones that are made got a human girl pregnant and the result was Angie’s race.” Sam paused a moment as if to choose his next words. He continued, “It was discovered that these special kids had the ability to blend in like humans. They were considered perfect for… assassination.”

“Assassination?” Dean wasn’t sure if he heard it right. He paused from his reading to get a good look at Sam to make sure that he wasn’t messing around with him. The serious look on his brother’s face spoke volumes.

Sam nodded. It was a pretty bloody history. “Both sides used human servants. Using someone like Angie made it easy to get close to some pretty high up vamps. They would have the scent of a vampire on them but also human smells. It was how the royal family was almost wiped out.”

“So you’re saying that it is natural for Angie to be a killer?”

“I’m not saying that at all, Dean. Besides Angie’s race proves to be tougher to kill and were often used as foot soldiers. Dean they were bred for war but their folk hero Kuran said that they were people too and had a choice. He said that breeding Halflings like they were cattle or something was against what they were fighting for. He declared them a new race.”

Dean was still looking through, trying to process what he had just heard. It sort of made sense what she meant by their purpose. She was referring to when her kind were bred to do things that even she would frown upon. “So that’s what she meant huh?”

Sam came to the same conclusion. “I think so. Dean you know how she is at least in terms of not seeing herself as worthy as Kuran saw them.”

“She should think of herself better. I mean we don’t treat her that way, do we Sam?”

Sam shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think so. I think she’s changed a little in that regard. Besides I think most of her thoughts are brought on by stuff she did before she met us.” Sam finally got up and started grabbing his bag and tossed what he would need into it. “Sorry about leaving you to do the heavy lifting.”

Dean put his finger in the spot to hold it. Looking around, he found a piece of paper and slipped it in. He put it in his pack deciding to read more later. He replied, “You implying something Sasquatch?”

“Not unless you are… Shorty.”

Dean sprung onto his freakishly huge brother and tried to wrestle him to the ground. He was grinning as he said, “Take it back Sammy.”

Sam grinned, “No way Dean.”

The two wrestled around until Bobby shouted at them to stop trying to bring the whole house down. They promptly started and finished their packing. They were treating this like going on the road for any other job. A few more insults were swapped as they finished.

****

Angela sat on her bed with her computer pad propped on its case stand. She was looking at the face of someone she hadn’t seen since he was a boy. Time had a funny way of changing people on all levels and for her it was like getting a surprise every few years and maybe a few decades. She sat cross legged on her bed and propped her chin on her hands and her elbows were propped on her knees. She was saying, “I am sorry to hear about your father Hakim. He was always a man of honor.”

“He would say the same thing about you except he called you a woman. He loved to tell me the stories of your scrapes together. His favorite was the chupracaba in Canada,” Hakim replied looking at her on his video link.

Angela stared back at the image. The boy was growing into the man his father wanted him to be. “Yes I remember. He saved me by being young and foolish for once in his life. So what do I owe the pleasure? I got your letter and it said that it was urgent.”

Dean had given her a letter that had come while she was upstairs after he shouted at her before running up to hand the thing over to her. Of course Bobby has his two cents worth to say and she didn’t say anything since it was his house. Once she made it back to her room, she took a good look at it.

She recognized the symbol since that was used as the logo for the tournament but not the one who sent it. It was only upon opening it that she realized who it was that sent the letter. She had gone and grabbed her computer and set up the link and now she was sitting across from a very old friend.

Hakim looked at the face that hadn’t aged one bit. He truly marveled at the Chaser ability to age like their full blooded relatives but she was always a beautiful one. His father had said it was rarer than the most precious gems ever found on this earth. He used to spy on her and the others as a boy and he could never forget how the men would fall over themselves for a chance to win her affections. She never bit though. It led him to believe that she was like one of the rare goddesses.

Of course those were childish fantasies. Still she was like how he remembered. He hoped though that she would understand what he was trying to do. He began, “As you know, Father has been trying to return the Tournament of Souls to what it once was back in the days before the ancient world.”

“I had heard rumors but I didn’t quite believe it. At least not with all the others who turned it into another gambling sport,” Angela replied.

“Yes. Well I took over his dream and made it my own. Since it is our responsibility as one of the families chosen to host the tournament, I have decided to turn the event back to the glory days. Much like your human Olympics the combatants will be fighting for pride and honor.”

Angela thought it sounded too good to be true. It could have been the cynic in her talking but she knew Hakim and his father had been trying for years. The last she heard he managed to get one other family out of the other five to see his way. If Hakim had been successful in persuading the other families to make the change and restore the spirit of the tournament, the ones that came after the ancient wars, then maybe… Still she had to be cautious. “Very noble Hakim but last I heard only one of the other five families agreed to this. From experience I can tell you that giving up power is much more difficult to swallow.”

“I agree. That is why the other five families have decided to hold off their tournaments in order to observe ours. The heads of those families will be in attendance as guests of honor. I know that our traditions dictate that all the families and their tournaments should be held at the same time but I think that if I could show them what has been forgotten and maybe appeal to that old honor…”

Angela gave a slight smile that was almost wry. It was very noble but also very political in some ways. Hakim was too young to understand the implications but he understood enough about the power pride held over men. She had to give him credit for that. “Because the heads are older and grew up learning it and you figure they will grasp the meaning of it by watching the bouts. Very good Hakim.”

“I had a good teacher.”

“Your father certainly knew people.”

“I was referring to you and your negotiations over the land dispute for that one tournament in the Middle East a few years back. Father knew how to talk to people but you know how to read them. You were a good team,” Hakim replied.

Angela remembered that. That was the start of getting one of the other five families to be on his side. She nodded in remembrance. “So your plan is to have all the heads of the families there.”

“Yes and you can probably see the problem,” Hakim replied, “There are some people outside the families who do not want this to happen. They will be willing to do anything to sabotage the event to the point where all honor and glory is lost.”

Angela could see where this was going. Surely Hakim knew that she already had someone participating in the event. Technically she couldn’t unless… She had to hear him out before jumping to conclusions. “So what are you asking Hakim?”

“I know that you have a student in the tournament so I cannot ask you to be a combatant.” Hakim thought this was the hardest thing ever to ask. As a boy, he had learned a few things from her such as what it meant to be a warrior and that there was more to it than the fighting for glory. She was the one who explained honor to him. Sighing he spoke, “I am asking if you are willing to be the exhibition fighter; for the match before the championship.”

It was a tall order. Those chosen for that fight were selected from warriors and all with more or less illustrious careers as champions for the mortals. The unofficial name for it was the champion’s exhibition. It was no holds barred to show off talent and no killing. Angela looked off at nothing in particular and then back at the screen. “You want me to do this?”

“I want you to but I am asking. I know you haven’t been as enthusiastic about this for some time now but if you, and forgive me, you, the Malachi of Absolution, were to stand up and fight, it would show the heads of the families…”

“It would show them what it means to fight with honor especially if it came from someone well known in that area,” Angela interrupted. She suspected that was what Hakim was going to ask of her. She could say no since there were literally half a dozen others she could name and Hakim would go to them because he trusted her judgment. However she knew the boy’s father’s dream and she knew Hakim wasn’t in this to make a name for himself. Hell she had taught him that as much when he was a boy.

The choice seemed easy but it was difficult for Angela. Fighting she didn’t have a problem with. It was the fact that her actually being there could be taken the wrong way; as in terms of politics. Then there was the issue of having the five heads there themselves. If there were outside parties that were interested in making sure that the spirit of the tournament is defiled and broken, then Hakim was going to need help. Of course that meant asking Dean and Bobby to play spectator and investigator; something that wouldn’t sit well with them especially when Sam’s turn was up.

Angela looked over to where her closet was. Bobby gave her a room and she more or less was a permanent fixture when she wasn’t traveling with the boys. In that closet was something she hadn’t worn since she last participated in a tournament and that was the real deal. She could hear the crowds and the smacking of limbs and weapons in her mind and the chorus at the end. She then looked back at Hakim and said, “Alright. I will do it for the spirit of the tournament.”

“That is what I hoped you would say.”

“Hakim you know it’s not going to be enough with just me being around there. You have to have security for the five heads. I know that ancient law states the location of the tournament is to be neutral territory but you know that there is the incentive for loopholes.”

“I am with you on that. I have ordered the guards of my family to be diligent in their duties regarding the other families and plus I have someone who knows a thing or two about the law coming by. But I am seeing that you have something else in mind.”

“I do and I better not say anything now. There is a little something I have to do. I will see you within a day.” Angela made to turn off the connection but decided to part with a little joke like she used to with him. “You know I find it strange or rather a coincidence that the tournament is being held in the deserts of Texas?”

“Tradition since the first was held in what is now called Egypt,” Hakim replied. “I look forward to seeing you again in person Wosret.”

Angela chuckled as the screen when black to indicate the end of the chat. It had been years since Hakim called her that. It was something that became a joke between them. When he was a boy, he had been studying Egypt and the gods that were associated with the tournament and he had just been reading about Wosret, a local guardian goddess and protector of Horus. When they were introduced he though she was the goddess incarnate. It had been a funny moment for her but embarrassing for his father. She had been quick to assure him though that she was not offended.

Sighing off the memory, she went to the closet and opened it. On the floor was a trunk. It wasn’t the steamer trunks that were typical of say the 1920s but rather one of those old trunks from the Middle Ages. The funny thing was that it was way older than that and made of craftsmanship that disappeared when the land of its creation sank into the ocean… or so the stories are told. It was special though in that the very wood itself was said to preserve anything that was kept in it and that was mostly by the spells and sigils put upon it. It was something that would take a normal human a near lifetime to acquire but this was given to her as a gift.

She slowly undid the locks and opened the chest. It was almost cliché of opening the treasure chest and the dust flying about. Dean would get a kick out of that no doubt since he liked old movies though she knew Westerns were his especial favorite. She humored him when he went into the inaccuracies that Hollywood employed and just agreed or give a ‘that’s nice’ comment. What she had in that trunk was the real deal stuff.

Reaching in, she fingered the items in there, recalling the memories easily. It sounded contradictory in terms of the fighting part and she was one not to fight. She used it for defense only and that was pretty much her job description period. It was difficult to describe but her father once said that true warriors knew when to fight and when not to fight and when they had to fight, they fought towards a better solution. Maybe what Hakim was trying to do would show promise.

Angela fingered the materials as she looked over at the nearly finished project draped on her desk chair. She had been working on it late at night the past several days and was going to give it as a surprise. Peering at it and then glancing in the chest, she gave a slight hum. Apparently memory has a way of making an appearance.

Looking at the things in the chest, Angela made up her mind. She was going to have to do a major sell job on Dean and Bobby though she could use her one persuasion weapon that worked on all three men in the house. She put the materials back down and closed the lid of the trunk. Picking it up, she hauled it down the stairs over her shoulder with a little bounce into her step.

It was early evening when everything was loaded in the van that Bobby kept for such cases. Dean was surprised that they were able to fit everything in the thing and there was room for people back there. He looked inside and said, “Damn Angie you sure know how to pack.”

“Just thinking of it like any other case,” Angela replied as she checked her trunk. It was secure but she didn’t want anything to happen to the other stuff in the van.

Dean chuckled as he downed a gulp of beer, “You got a secret weapon in there?”

Angela smiled as she stroked the wood lovingly, “Just something I haven’t taken a look at in a long time. It’s for the exhibition. I was asked.” She checked the bindings one more time to make sure that they were secure. She then placed her duffle over it creating a nice cushion space for it. Next to it she made sure the medical supplies were secure; all in an attempt to not look at Dean while he thought about what she had said.

“I thought you weren’t allowed and you didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about even going and have been treating this as an obligation ever since you tried to get Sam out of it in the beginning.” Dean frowned a little in confusion. He knew that Angela avoided a fight if she could.

Angela finished what she was doing and turned to look at Dean. “Well I considered it an obligation because it has turned into something like modern sports. Fighters are given money, and all that hoopla. Things were different before.”

“Sam mentioned that you knew a thing or two about that.”

Angela hopped out of the van and shut the door. “Actually I fought in one and I’m sure he mentioned that I said it was the real deal.”

Dean gave a slight nod. “Said something like that. So it was…?”

“Fight for the right to land. Diplomacy failed and the warlord wanted the land. He called for a challenge. I fought him. He ended up dying but not by my hand.”

“That’s a relief. Angie about how your kind came to be, is that what you meant about purpose?” It came out awkward but it was either him or Sam that was going to ask the question sooner or later. Might as well be now.

“I see somebody has been eavesdropping,” Angela replied with a slight smile, “Then again I knew you were listening. It was, Dean. That was before I found out what was going on with the tournament.”

“So I take it that it is good news?”

Angela nodded as she started back towards the house with Dean in tow. She had one more thing to get. “Well I know the family that is hosting it. His father started the ball rolling a few years ago but little Hakim is taking the reins and well finishing what his father started.”

“Nice to see you not as moody,” Sam called out as he walked through the study. In his hand he had the pad that she had removed from the Camaro. “I fixed it though I am surprised that you couldn’t do it yourself.” He handed over the pad.

“Oh I could do it,” Angela replied as she looked over the specs that Sam set. “I just get a kick out of making you do it.” She looked up with a smile on her face.

Dean couldn’t help but laugh even though he had been had with her getting him to help load the van. “I warned ya Sammy. She’s giving you a run for your money.”

“Whatever, jerk,” Sam replied realizing that she did exactly what he would do when he wanted something really bad from Dean. That was how he persuaded him to invite her along.

“Hey, she’s good with the puppy look and she can hand you your ass.”

“I would call this morning a draw,” Angela replied as she looked at the pad. Sam did a good job with the GPS settings. Of course Bobby was going to say something but it would make the trip interesting. “And I heard that he made you tap out Dean.”

“Technicality.”

“Still a win,” Angela countered with a teasing grin.

“Christo,” Sam muttered with a slight smile. At her reaction he replied, “Hey the sudden mood change is suspicious. It’s almost like you are planning to join in the tournament or something.”

“Actually yes. The exhibition bout,” Angela replied. “I was asked and I said yes… more or less. It’s not an ideal thing but if it convinces the other five families then…” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. She didn’t have to explain what she meant since she had been going over rules and protocol by night and training by day the last few days. “Well I guess that’s everything.” She gave a slight pat on the shoulder to both boys and went to find Bobby.

Sam looked at Dean who simply said, “Don’t look at me. She’s the one in the good mood.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Hakim, we know your father was an honorable man but this fool’s quest to change what has been done for nearly a hundred or so years. No one wants to give up their pay for fighting.”

Hakim stood up from the table and had his hands placed on it. He was surrounded by the other five heads of the five families. They had arrived after his conversation with his old friend and immediately there were protests over the changes being made. He replied, “Let's pose something to you Lady Davenport: what is the point then for fighting? For millennia our families have been charged with hosting the tournament intended to be a demonstration of skill and exhibiting the highest ideals of warriors. Being paid to fight has likened to hiring mercenaries and really is no better than these other sports in existence. This is a test of a warrior’s strength, courage, honor and skill. It becomes devalued with coin and there is no pride especially should the warrior be a champion.”

Lady Davenport looked down her glasses at the young head. Rumors had it that the boy stepped in immediately after his father had been poisoned. She thought that he no doubt wanted to make a name for himself as a champion of the old ways. She replied, “And what do you use as incentive to get these warriors to participate? You have not seen how the numbers decreased before paid compensation was made.”

Hakim replied, “We have been fortunate to have a substantial turnout in this region. There are warriors out there who have even said that they want their compensation given to charity or none at all.”

“Yes and it seems that they are excited about the exhibitions.”

Hakim addressed the new speaker, “Yes they are Lwazi. The warriors who agreed are ones that understand such things.”

Lwazi gave a bow of acknowledgment. He believed in what young Hakim was doing and had joined before his father passed. He would support the boy as best as he could but he really needed something to grab the other’s attention.

Lady Davenport gave a slight huff and in her proper accent said, “What do they understand? The world has changed. You cannot simply expect them to go back.” She looked through her glasses at the young head of the family with a piercing glance. _Let’s see if you are your father’s son._

“That is illogical; to expect us to turn back the clock,” Hakim acknowledged. He remembered how the head of the family in Europe was about things. True they clung to tradition just as well as any other but they were the ones who saw opportunity to replace that which was considered sacred. He knew she was testing him just like she did with his father. His father always said she was the pushiest of all the heads. He continued, “However when things that go against principles take precedence in our lives, in the end, you lose. Consider this as a means of putting those principles that we hold dear first.”

“You make a good point Hakim but principle alone isn’t enough to rally the masses. There are too few warriors of that caliber,” a member dressed in a modified bolero jacket and pants.

“But it is those few that will be making an appearance in the exhibitions, Señor del Valle,” Hakim addressed the head with proper pronunciation. He silently thanked his father for insisting on learning world languages. He continued, “By volunteering and participating in the exhibitions, they would be showing the masses what it means to fight with honor.”

“That is all good and well young Hakim but we all know that it is the main exhibition that everyone looks forward to right before the championship bout,” Lady Davenport replied making it sound like it should have been obvious to everyone. “What do you plan on doing with that?”

“Yes I would like to hear of it. Who do you have in mind that would honor Allah?”

Hakim looked at the speaker and replied, “Zahir, Yi Xiang,  Señor del Valle, Lwazi and Lady Davenport, you all have come because some part of you remembers the old ways. It is not so easy to forget when we have been brought up in these ways and we…”

“Yes we share the same blood, the blood of Egypt where it began,” Lady Davenport interrupted much to the shock and surprise of the others. “Get to your point. Who will be the ones to supposedly inspire the others and supposedly change our minds?” She looked bored in her expression and she didn’t really care what the other heads thought of her at that moment.

Hakim smiled as if he didn’t consider the interruption a serious offense. It technically was since they were all of equal status. When in a meeting such as this though, the host usually heads the discussion and courtesy and respect are given. He wasn’t going to stoop to the level Lady Davenport would. He continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted, “We share the blood of Egypt from where it began. So we know that who participates in the main exhibition carries significant weight with us all.”

That led to some murmuring. Each head could name at least one warrior that would carry the traditions of the old ways. Zahir though wanted to know and he was sure the others did too. He asked, “So Hakim, whom have you asked?”

“Theron,” Hakim gave and the murmurs of approval were loud even the reluctant ones from Lady Davenport. He continued, “And Absolution.”

The quiet in the room was deafening. Hakim knew that it would spark some reaction. This was almost unnerving but he would hold his ground. Out of the other heads it was Yi Xiang that spoke, “You actually spoke to her?”

“Yes. She is an honored guest in our family home.”

“You asked the Malachi of Absolution to appear?” Lwazi was surprised. He had met the warrior and he knew that she held herself to high standards. Certainly she was worthy of participating but an exhibition? Why not actually compete? He asked, “Why as an exhibition?”

“By the rules she is not permitted.”

“You mean she has a student,” Señor del Valle confirmed. “Such a pity.”

“As Lady Davenport pointed out though, it is the main exhibition, the one that glorifies Hapi and Satet, that is considered important,” Zahir pointed out. It was just his luck that she was returning to the arena. There was never one so deadly and beautiful in combat. No doubt the people would be inspired by it all. Theron was good as well. A perfect personification of the god and goddess of the Nile. “It truly is one of the best choices. Theron is good and he follows the old ways. Absolution is his equal in that respect. Both would make a fitting demonstration of the god and goddess that are honored.”

Hakim had considered that as well. The Egyptian New Year began with the annual flooding of the Nile River and is called the Akhet or inundation. The god Hapi and the goddess Satet were associated with the annual flooding and coincidentally gods of war as well as fertility. There was one story that was never written into the annals of Egyptian mythology and that was how the two met and their battle to see who was greater. In the end they declared each other as equals.

Hakim knew that Absolution knew that story and he was certain she hadn’t considered that. Then again she was seeing this as a means of duty. She was going to protect the heads from any treachery and from whatever means necessary. He said, “Yes they are. That is why you are here; to witness this event and thus hopefully be reminded of our purpose and the spirit of the tournament.” He paused to hear out any objections.

“I don’t have any objections. Hakim, you know my position on this,” Lwazi replied. “I hope this idea works.”

“I have faith in Absolution and Theron,” Hakim replied. He didn’t doubt Theron but he knew that there were plenty of younger warriors out there who had heard of Absolution. Mostly it was about her being called a Shadow Master but most of the older warriors knew of her as Absolution. He was also aware of his own bias for her. It was as his father once said: who couldn’t help but like her?

Lady Davenport gave a slight snort. She had never seen Absolution but she had heard of her reputation. So far she wasn’t impressed. She took it to being the people embellishing the truth to make the girl more than what she was. “Well I hope for your sake Hakim that this works. It would be a shame for a distinctive and honored family such as yours disgraced by something as poor performance or something equally bad.” She stood up.

Hakim slightly narrowed his eyes. He knew that he couldn’t outwardly accuse her of anything without proof. However Absolution had taught him that you observed everyone as if they were a suspect but wait until you knew for sure. He knew Lady Davenport was against this whole thing. He suspected that she enjoyed the prestige and the money her tournaments brought in.

It was like Absolution said; it was a lot harder to give up riches than rags. At least his father still had his integrity and maintained it as best as he could. The sponsors of the warriors though were another story. They used the names of the warriors to bring in coin. He couldn’t do anything about that outside the ring but inside he could regulate it. If the change was to come however, he needed a united front. Lady Davenport was going to be a tough customer.

He smiled though and said, “I am well aware that the turn of events hasn’t been popular. However I have taken steps to ensure that this year’s tournament will go smoothly.” A door opened and in entered a man in a suit. Hakim smiled and continued, “This is Special Agent Hendrickson of the FBI and a close friend. He has been advising me on security.”

Lady Davenport looked the agent down. He had good built and looked in good shape. Skin color didn’t bother her since she had a few working at the family’s winery and the other businesses. She could tell that he was all business. She gave a polite smile, “Well you certainly have thought of everything we would need Hakim. You are more like your father than I ever thought. I think he would be proud.” She then looked at the others. “Well I think this will be an enlightening experience. Now how about a drink on the veranda?”

Hakim looked at the other heads and said, “That is an excellent idea. All of you enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow night you will meet the warriors at the dinner party.”

“I look forward to that,” Lady Davenport replied with a polite smile and led the way out.

Hakim nodded and waited until the other heads left before addressing Hendrickson, “Thank you for everything you have done in helping with the security issues. I just hope nothing bad happens.”

Agent Hendrickson smiled as he put a hand on his old friend’s shoulder. When Hakim talked to him, he learned about the tournament and his concerns. He thought of it as another sporting event with high profile people in attendance. He asked Hakim about security and found out that there were some high profile people and concerns. He immediately volunteered to help out and headed straight to Texas.

It certainly was a break from chasing the two most wanted on his list. Their trail went cold after the bank heist and their prison escape. Hendrickson surmised that they had some sort of outside help or an incredible amount of luck. All he knew was that they were dangerous. He replied, “Oh I don’t think so. Not even the Winchesters could get to your high profile friends there.”

Hakim continued to smile. It wasn’t until after Hendrickson arrived and talked about who he was chasing after that he realized that he was going to hand off at least one of the brothers and on a platter. He knew the list of participants and had seen ‘Sam Winchester’ as bold as the type. This was going to be difficult and could put violation on the spirit of things. “That’s a relief. So I assume that you are going to back to chasing the bastards?”

Hendrickson gave a slight shrug and replied, “I thought I might stick around and monitor things just in case. Maybe see a few of these fighters.”

“I’m sure your boss wouldn’t approve. I mean after all you are chasing down men that are considered murderers not to mention the body desecrations and the credit card scams. Seems to me that it is a full time job for you.” Hakim gave a smile and hoped that his friend would bite.

Hendrickson smiled, “Well you are right. I do have to get back but I have enough time to spare. Would it be too much to stick around for the pre-fight party?”

It was what Hakim dreaded. He was going to have to let Absolution know immediately. This was certainly going to dampen things. It would have to be a juggle act in keeping Hendrickson occupied and not actually paying attention to who was in the room. Lucky for him there was going to be quite a bit of people there and some were proud of their true forms. “I don’t think so. There are fighters from all walks of life.”

****

“So is it true or not?” Crowley had his back turned to the one he was questioning. It had been a trying time the last few hours. He had gone to great lengths in getting in and playing nice. Damn the fact that the rules prevented his usual methods.

No answer was forthcoming except stuttering. Crowley sighed to prevent himself from losing his temper. He replied in a careful voice, “This is not the time to be keeping secrets from me,” and he turned to face his guest, “Cary.”

Cary trembled. It was unbecoming of a demon in his position… well if he really had one. He was one of the low level dealers since he dealt in other things besides the usual. Crowley kept him around because he had contacts among the people that went after them. They were hunters but they were like any other meat suit. Still to stand in the presence of the boss was something terrifying though not as terrifying as being in front of her.

It was somewhat a relief that she hadn’t contacted him for information. However that didn’t mean that he was off the hook and he did have some information for her. He just didn’t give it to her yet and now he was in front of the boss and his very existence was on the line. He swallowed and replied, “Yes sir. I managed to sneak in and all six heads of their families will be there.”

“Not that Cary.”

“W—what do you mean sir?”

Crowley loved making this worm squirm. If he wasn’t so good at what he did, he would have gotten rid of him long ago. However Cary had his uses and he aimed to exploit them. The last thing with the human female version of Cary was just the tip of the iceberg. He gave a sly smile and said in a dangerously calm voice, “You know what I mean. I know that you agreed to tell a certain person how to find me and I want to hear it from you. Is it true?”

Cary gulped again. He couldn’t lie on this. “Y-yes sir.”

Crowley smiled, “That’s better.” He then gave Cary a hard punch across the face. It felt good since he already knew to an extent what was going on. It just annoyed him that Cary was such a weak and pathetic little worm. “Now how exactly did she find you?”

It was a rhetorical question since anyone who knew how could summon a crossroads demon or a demon in general if they knew what they were doing. Cary knew that Crowley knew the yearbook answer but this time he wanted to know the whole spiel about her. He replied, “She summoned the one who made the initial deal, Mandy I think. I don’t know what she did but she learned about my line of work from her.”

“I assumed as much,” Crowley replied as kept his hands behind his back. “So what was it like meeting her?”

Cary couldn’t help but get angry as he remembered that first time. He replied, “She barged in on my place of business and started trying to kill me.”

Crowley couldn’t help but laugh at the utter ridiculousness of the answer. “Don’t exaggerate. You and both know that she wouldn’t have gotten this far if she even decided to kill you right then and there. So really what did she say and do?”

Cary didn’t know if he was going to catch hell for even saying this. Then again he had the resources to lay low. It was his specialty when making other kinds of deals. However when the boss asked for something, you talked and didn’t hold back or worse things could happen. He replied, “She demanded to know how to get in touch with my boss… with you sir. I refused and she tried to beat it out of me.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less. After all was only a little while after the gate opened. Go on.”

“I fought back but it was like she was possessed or something and she had a knife and when it cut, it burned. It was then I knew she could have killed me but she didn’t.”

“And that was when you agreed to do what she wanted, right?”

“Yes sir… but that didn’t mean I was exactly going to give it to her like that. I told her that it would take some time. Besides I was making it so that she would chase her tail for a little while.” Cary tried hard not to gulp as he watched the boss’ face study him. It was not easy to tell when the boss was just angry or royal pissed. Hell no one could tell if he was in a good mood or not.

“That would just be the thing you would say to save yourself. Then again you always were a pushover since you did get involved with the little princess of hell,” Crowley replied. His movements were deliberate and suave since small fry like Cary were easy to pull into line. You just had to look and act the part.

Cary should have known that the boss would know about that. Yet there wasn’t any rule against helping a fellow demon out now was there? She came to him stating that she needed someone who knew how to get things and get them done. She said that she was planning a little game for her favorite little sister. How was he supposed to know that it was _her_?

When he realized what the princess wanted and who she was referring to, Cary wanted to book right then and there. Of course though he couldn’t just up and leave since the princess would try to hunt him down or complain to daddy in the pit. Then he was dragged into a rescue operation of sorts and bullied into doing the dirty work of getting near the one with the taint of hell on him. That damn smartass pissed him off but he did what he was asked or rather bullied into doing. He then used the distraction to slip away and go back to his hole in the ground.

That was what he did. He was the supernatural underground dealer. Well the king of that but the king of the crossroads was his boss and he really couldn’t argue with that. How the boss found out about his involvement Cary could only guess but considering the crap he had gone through previously with _her_ … and that was not counting the time she wrangled out of him that nest of demons that knew about Azazel… he had every right to be the one to hide.

Seeing that the boss was expecting an answer, Cary replied, “She came to me asking for certain things. I had no idea it was that one until I saw her. Really boss.”

“And yet you still helped the princess,” Crowley replied. “You of all people should know that the princess has been hounding that girl since she escaped from the pit.” Crowley raised his voice near the end of that sentence making it into a yell. That usually worked and plus he was frustrated with the pathetic worm. Like he told himself countless times, he was useful which was why he hadn’t had him ripped to pieces as of yet. He then went back to the calm voice he had been using and asked, “So did you do anything useful while working for the princess?”

“I actually helped her get the Winchesters?”

It came out like a question and Crowley knew that Cary was fishing or not sure if he should say anything more. He replied, “And?”

“Well they weren’t the main amusement for the princess like you just implied. The person you are interested in actually caught me and had me help them out. I was to give Dean something and that was it. When the place started to go, I booked.”

“Typical of your character Cary. Then again we all need that one person that will do anything out of fear or intimidation,” Crowley replied. He pivoted and started towards his desk. He knew what had happened over the last few months since the campaign to find him had begun. He just wanted to hear it from Cary since he had encountered her three times now. How she managed to find Cary when she wanted was impressive to him and a point of interest. One of many things he wanted to find out about her.

“She hasn’t tried to find me for the information she wanted,” Cary offered, a little relieved that the boss was a bit of a distance away. “If she does, I can give just enough to satisfy but not enough to send her chasing her tail.”

Crowley looked down at his desk at the item resting on it. “That is an intriguing idea. However I would much rather have her gain the right information. Tell me, what have you heard lately?”

“Um… well rumor is that she will be arriving at the grounds for the event being held here but I guess you already knew that right boss?”

“What was your first guess Cary? I knew she would be coming because unlike the other heads of the other families, this one knows tradition and aims to carry it out. It is only logical that he ask for help from someone he trusts.”

“I guess that’s what makes you king of the crossroads right?”

Crowley turned to give a pointed look at Cary. The lesser demon quailed under it and took it as the signal to leave. Crowley looked around to make sure that he was alone before turning back to his desk. Looking at the item that laid across it, he touched it reverently before picking it up. He held it in his hands and hefted it in his hands feeling while being careful not to touch any of the sharpened edged of the thing.

The one he hired brought that to him under the impression that it was the real deal. When he took it out, he was left with nothing but a piece of piping that was etched with sigils and signs. They were still active and with a quick thrust could kill a demon. How that was possible, Crowley could attribute that to one person and that little bitch switched sides.

He paid the human who brought it to him. He really had no interest in the sword and he was certain that she would devise a means of fooling the human. He was impressed by the scheme that had occurred and he felt immense pleasure that the little princess got a little ass kicking.

Now he was faced with the possibility of coming face to face with Absolution. The grounds were neutral territory and even the young Hakim knew that he couldn’t change that fact. He had to hand it to Absolution. She knew that if she wanted to get something regarding a certain little deal, she knew the best route was to go straight to the top. Though he was curious about why she hadn’t continued to pursue that path.

The tournament was a good place to start. It was neutral and there was that gala before. He could meet her. Then he could watch her in action. There was no doubt that one of the other heads was up to something. From what he heard of Absolution, she would be able to get to the bottom of it.

Crowley gazed at the piping. “Well if you want to meet me, love, you’ll get your chance and I look forward to it.”


	4. Chapter 4

_Right turn up ahead._

“Shut up,” Bobby growled at the GPS pad that was sitting on the dash of the van. He glanced over at the passenger side where Dean currently was sitting and trying hard and failing not to laugh. Bobby said to him, “Shut up idjit.”

“Come on Bobby. Angie thought that you might need a little help when you took over the driving,” Dean replied still chuckling.

_At 3/4 of a mile, left turn._

“Balls! I don’t need a freaking GPS to tell me where to go. I can read coordinates too,” Bobby groused. “If I have to put up with this thing on the way back, I am ripping it out. End of story.”

Dean smiled as he took a drink of the bottle of pop that they picked up earlier when gassing the van up. He had to marvel that Angela had it all planned out to get to the place in Texas. Where she couldn’t say except give a set of coordinates that set them in the middle of desert. He replied, “Well maybe she’s trying to teach the old dog some new tricks.”

“Don’t sass me boy or I’ll make sure your turn will be worse.”

“Can you guys please be quiet? Someone is trying to get some sleep.”

Dean turned around since Bobby couldn’t to peer into the back of the van. The sight had him grinning in amusement. His brother Sam was stretched out as the dimensions of the van would let him and he was reading something and leaning against him fast asleep with her head on his shoulder was Angela. From the looks of things, Sam didn’t bother to try and move her over or he did and she just flopped back over and he gave up. He said, “Fine. We’ll be quiet while the dragon gets some sleep. We don’t need her setting our asses on fire. Right Bobby?”

Bobby took a quick peek in the rearview mirror and groused, “Fine but I still wanna rip this darn thing out.” He grumbled to himself as the pad on the dash made another course correction. Bobby got the feeling that she did that on purpose. He knew that the boys and he could read coordinates like nothing. Though he did have to admit that the roads they had been on the last half hour or so were unfamiliar. They didn’t show up on most road maps so maybe it was a good thing.

Dean grinned and turned back to Sam, “See Sam everything’s good. So what’s it like being a pillow?”

“Eat me, Dean.”

Dean chuckled as he turned back around and leaned in his seat. Now would be a good time to crank up some music but given that they did have someone sleeping and she needed it, he was going to be nice. That didn’t mean he was going to borrow Sam’s iPod thingy. He wouldn’t be caught dead with it since Sam’s taste in music was just plain girly.

Sam waited until his brother was facing the correct way before looking at the body leaning against his. He gave a slight shake of his head and was tempted to try and get her to lean against the duffel she had placed there for that particular reason but he knew that she was just going to shift in her sleep go the other way.

She had gone to sleep a couple of hours after handing the wheel over to Bobby after driving the night. After handing the wheel over, she sat in the front seat and worked on something. When she was finished, she traded places with Dean and settled against the duffel to sleep. It was maybe half an hour or maybe an hour into that in which Sam felt a weight lean into him while he was reading up on the rules of the tournament for the umpteenth time.

Sam said nothing about it and gently shifted her back over only to find that she was back into leaning on him. He kept it up for about twenty minutes. He even tried waking her but nothing happened and she stayed where she was. He finally gave up and just let her continue to sleep. To be honest this wasn’t the first time she leaned against him when she was asleep.

The first time was when they were camped out on the hood of the Impala. Angela said that she intended to stay out there the whole night and called in the favor that Sam owed her, making him stay out there. He couldn’t tell who fell asleep first but it was a cool misty morning when he woke up on the hood of the Impala and she was asleep with her head propped on his shoulder and his had been against her head. Dean let him have it for nearly a week afterwards but Angela gave it back to him by reminding him why that was so and she did it cunningly.

So in all honesty, it wasn’t that bad. To Sam it felt pretty comfortable. Her weight wasn’t stifling or anything. He was surprised that none of Bobby’s ranting woke her up. He suspected though that if she were on alert, as Dean would say, she would have said something. Glancing at her, he could tell she was in a deep sleep. He had seen her asleep many times in the back of the Impala but those were like catnaps. This was the first time he saw her in deep sleep and she wasn’t going to budge. So he was going to endure the rest of the trip there like this until she decided to wake up.

It was about four hours later that they finally made it to their destination and it was literally out in the middle of nowhere. Dean was driving at the time and showed the gate guard what Angela told him to do and was directed to where he was to park. When he finally made it to the place he said, “Well we’re here.”

“No shit Sherlock,” Bobby groused.

“Don’t be grumpy,” Dean retorted in good humor and turned around to shout at Sam and stopped.

Angela was still asleep but currently her head was being used as a pillow for Sam’s head while she was still using his shoulder. Dean thought this to be a good time to pull a wake up prank on Sam. Trying hard not to make too much noise, he crept from his seat and pulled out one of the straws from an empty cup and quietly snaked it up Sam’s nose.

Looking down, Dean marveled at the fact that Sam hadn’t decided to drool in his sleep. He was going to take a picture with his camera phone when an idea came to him. He set it so the flash would be bright and aimed it right at Sam’s face and pressed the button.

Sam jerked awake when he saw the flash and blinked. It was then he realized that a straw was up his nose and he batted it out. He didn’t have to guess who did it. He glared at his brother who was laughing his head off and huffed, “Jerk.”

“Quit your whining bitch. We’re here.” Dean then looked to see Angela still asleep. He was surprised that Sam’s sudden movement hadn’t awakened her. “Looks like the dragon is still sleeping.”

“Dean, stop calling her that,” Sam replied as he tried to ease her up. He wasn’t sure how to wake her since the last time someone did that, she tackled them and that someone was Dean.

“I will when it stops being true. She likes it anyway,” Dean replied as he watched his brother handle her like she was a plate of hot coals. “Sam, just give her a shake.”

“Not a good idea. Remember the last time?”

Dean hated it when Sam reminded him but then again if his brother hadn’t reminded him, then he would be walking into the same thing every time. Still he thought it strange that she would still be asleep after all the noise they were making. Maybe she just tuned everything out or something.

“Sam’s right, Dean. If you had tried to wake me about ten seconds ago I probably would have had you in a choke hold by now,” Angela spoke as she slowly opened her eyes while she sat up and stretched. “By the way, nice driving.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh at the look on his brother’s face as he climbed out the van and grabbed his stuff while handing Dean’s his then grabbed the medical supplies. They waited while Angela grabbed her bag and her trunk and jumped out. Both brothers said nothing since she had proven that she could carry them both over her shoulders and they followed her into the main hall where they were directed to two rooms joined by a parlor.

“Angie, are we here for a tournament or is there something that I’m missing?” Dean looked around at the accommodations that they had been given. He was just expecting something like the crappy motels that they stayed in.

Angela looked around. Hakim must really want to keep to her good graces by giving them this and the boys’ room had three beds in it so no fuss there. She would have to tell him that he didn’t have to do that since she was still going to do what she promised. She had to give it to him though because she was certain that he did the same for his other warriors. She wasn’t even going to guess how he made room for all of them.

Looking around she recognized the Egyptian motifs that she had seen as reproductions from the ruins and as part of visions when she paid a visit to those ruins. Everything was wide and open and she noticed that their parlor was large enough for practice sparring. She finally looked at the three looking at her, waiting for her to explain and she replied, “I think Hakim is really going out on this. The tournament began in Egypt and the six families that host it come from Egyptian lineage.”

“Makes sense since we’re in the middle of nowhere and with really good plumbing,” Bobby interjected as he looked over the place and tested the fixtures in the bathrooms.

“I remember reading about this,” Sam then said as he started to walk and look around. “Angie how well thought of are you to these guys?”

“Just friends,” Angela replied with a slight shrug to her shoulders. She hefted her trunk and bag into the room with the single bed.

“Why you asking Sam?” Dean was in awe at the digs they were placed in. Yet the tone that Sam’s voice took on told him that his brother made a connection to something during his research. So he had his attention.

Sam glanced at Angela who had come back out of the room she had taken and then at Dean. He replied, “Well I was reading about the different matches that go on in between and I read that the one everyone pays attention to aside from the championship is the exhibition before that.”

“That’s right,” Angela replied. She finally understood what Sam was pointing out. She was surprised that she didn’t think of the implications being assigned to this room. “It is often considered a reenactment of the battle between the god Hapi and his eventual wife Satet. Both are gods of war and both are associated with the annual flooding of the Nile which is the beginning of the Egyptian New Year. This exhibition takes the best male and female warrior and they combat each other in a test of skill and the usual spiel.”

“Angie, this arrangement they assigned us is only given to the one who is honoring Satet and I read that story,” Sam said in a low voice.

Angela chewed her lower lip. Oh yes she remembered the stories about Satet and her personality. She saw herself like royalty and was surrounded by her male attendants. No wonder Sam was starting to get a slight blush and it was slowly dawning on Dean as he observed his brother and Bobby was just wondering what the heck they were talking about. She better lay down the law before Dean started confusing porn and reality again. “Yes I know. God I didn’t think he would go this far. No wonder…”

“So this Satet was a bit of,” Dean gave a slight lifting of his eyebrows.

“Reality check, Dean. It was just a story. Yeah she did have an unusually large amount of male servants but she was devoted to Hapi and still is… I think. So no more about it just…” Angela went into a slight flurry to divert attention. She cut herself off and headed towards her room and shut the door.

Dean looked at her door and then at Sam and Bobby. He then said, “I wonder if she’s required to dress like this Satet.”

Sam gave him a bitch face and Bobby said, “Idjit.”

****

“Damn Angie, is it like this every time you show up to a party?” Dean had to lean in close to whisper in her ear as he observed a small crowd stare in their direction.

After shutting herself in her room, the only thing she said and through the door was that they needed to be ready to head to the dinner party by six. Bobby grumbled and said that he wasn’t getting trussed up and making a fool of himself. Sam had given a sigh and an ‘oh well’ look and went to unpack something that wouldn’t be too out of place like their FBI suits.

The suits worked fine though it felt like they were working a case rather than having a good time. However that was overshadowed by the fact that they were accompanied by possibly the best dressed in the whole room and that was currently Angela.

She had come out about ten minutes before her imposed deadline. The boys were in their room and Bobby was lounging in a chair in the parlor reading one of his books and drinking a beer. She didn’t bother to ask where he got it from but stood as if to receive his approval or scrutiny.

Her slacks were black and flared slightly near her feet. Her top was either silk or brocade and had a black background and patterned with a silvery grey embroidery pattern of a bird on the back. It buttoned down to her waist and it flared like a coat down to mid-calf. The sleeves flared near the hands and the cuffs were embroidered with chrysanthemums and feather patterns. The neck was high and plain. Her hair was styled to complete the look with the sides gathered in swoops and brought back into a knot at the back of her head and interwoven with a big red rose.

Bobby took a look at her and promptly said that he felt like he should have a camera to send her off to her prom or something. It was as good a compliment she was going to get and she smiled. The boys’ reactions were just confidence builders. Now they were in the entrance of the hall where the reception was in full swing. Angela replied, “Nothing more than the usual lecher looks and jealous stares Dean.”

“They should be jealous of you. The only woman to offer mercy even to the most evil of creatures,” a voice came forth. Emerging from the crowd was a young man possibly late twenties with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a tunic and pants that looked like something out of the sixteenth century. He had a slight swagger and a charm that was designed to disarm the most rigid of women.

Angela gave a knowing smile and replied, “Always a flatterer aren’t you Jason? Still trying to find a crew for the Argo?” She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek not noticing the look that Sam was giving.

“Is that a yes to the offer I made two years ago? You finally found your sea legs to sail with the finest crew?” Jason teased Angela after breaking the hug and held her arm’s length apart. “By the gods you haven’t changed a bit. You’re still as beautiful as the day that I met you.”

Angela smiled in response. “Still trying to convince me that a life at sea is the best that life can give?”

Jason chuckled, “Always but you and I both know that you prefer dry land even though you were born near the sea.” He released Angela and gave a slight sigh. “So I hear tell that you have been chosen as Satet.”

“Asked. I was asked Jason and I accepted if only to help Hakim realize his dream,” Angela gently corrected. “Don’t read too much into it.”

“And here I thought you would be competing,” Jason replied laughing slightly. He then noticed the two that were with Angela. The taller of the two was almost glaring at him. Jason had seen that look before from others except this one was slightly different. The shorter one was watching the taller one. He gestured to them, “They your students?”

Angela replied, “Yes, this is Dean,” she motioned to Dean, “And this is his brother Sam.” She put a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “And this is Jason an old time friend.”

Dean tried to shake Jason’s hand but instead he got a warrior’s grip. He had noticed the look that Sam was shooting in the guy’s direction. He seriously thought that Sam needed to lighten up since even Dean could see that this Jason guy liked Angela but not in the way that Sam was interpreting it. He did see that Sam visibly calmed when Angela touched his shoulder and introduced him. It was then that Dean spotted a familiar face. He then said, “It was nice meeting you but I think I see something that is calling to me.”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle. She said, “Alright Dean. I think I saw pie on the dessert table.” She hadn’t failed to notice a familiar face and figured that Dean saw the same person. She wasn’t going to call him on it though and let him go. She was right when he walked up to Haley and probably made her laugh with one of his cheesy pickup lines.

Jason had been watching too. “Well it seems that your brother has good taste Sam,” he said in an attempt to be friendly and show the guy that he had no intention of hitting on Angela. “So you are competing? How did that happen?”

Sam looked at Jason and relaxed. Initially when he saw Angela and him interact, he became defensive. He remembered Club Albion too well and there had been a couple of incidents since then in bars where guys tried to get cute with her. He realized that Jason was not going to insult her or anything like and decided to be friendly. He replied, “I did nothing.”

“Nothing is right,” a new voice entered. It was the one who started the fight on the way to Terre Haute. He was grinning like a young punk. “So you did decide to show up.”

Angela lost her smile immediately and her lips formed a grim line. She grasped Sam’s wrist gently as a warning and looked at the young punk. He had been joined by his little buddies. She narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a calm and firm voice, “An agreement was made. Tis dishonorable not to follow the terms of it. It’s an extension of honor.”

The young punk laughed a little as he looked at the giant of a human looking at him with a grim expression but he hadn’t moved. He then looked at the woman and the other man behind her. He replied, “Oh ho so the famous Absolution knows a thing or two about honor. If that is the case, why aren’t you competing?”

“You better watch what you say,” Sam muttered in a low voice. He wasn’t going to do anything foolish; not with Angela grasping his wrist.

“So the gentle giant decided to grow a spine. I look forward to seeing that.”

“Don’t forget pride is a man’s downfall,” Jason interjected in his calm manner.

“I wasn’t talking to you old has been. Go back to your boat and sail the seven seas,” the young punk replied as he pointed at Jason.

“Stay your hand insolent pup,” Angela barked in the ancient language, clearly not in the mood to get into a fight. “You dishonor yourself and your family by this lack of protocol.”

The young punk looked at Angela and noticed that her eyes were flickering. They weren’t full on glowing orbs but he could see the power in those flickers. It was different from before but he still wasn’t impressed by it. He replied in English, ignoring respect, “What matters is strength and power. That is something even the great Absolution will never understand.”

Angela replied in the other language knowing that he was insulting her by not responding in kind. Jason she knew was barely keeping his temper in since she could feel the slight trembles of anger behind her. With Sam she could feel him opening and closing his fist as she continued to hold on to it. She gave a gentle squeeze as she said, “True strength comes from not what you can do but what you choose to do with what you can do. Therein lies the difference.”

“Pretty little speech, Absolution,” a new voice entered.

Angela turned to see the leader of the little pack come up speaking in the ancient language. She replied, “And one you should know. Now I suggest you move on or at least call it a night. There are others who have a better sense of propriety.”

The leader smiled. He had no doubt that they would show. Now he would see what her little human pet was made out of. He replied, “You are most certainly right. After all this is a party and such behavior is not acceptable.” He barked an order at his boys and they walked past them. He paused to get a good look at Sam and said in clear English, “I look forward to seeing what she taught ya boy. You couldn’t look worse than the first time.”

Angela tightened her grip on Sam’s wrist as a warning to just let them pass. When they were gone she released him. As she did, she let out the breath she had been holding. She turned to look at Jason and Sam and tried to play it off so that no one would become a busybody, “Well it seems that there a quite a few hot bloods in here.”

“Don’t try to make light of Angie. It doesn’t work when you’re pissed,” Sam replied cooling down. He was grateful that she had restrained him with a wrist grab. He peered at her and noticed that she was breathing like she had just run their usual run in the morning. That douche really pissed her off to the point that she felt she had to hold it in. He asked, “You all right?”

Jason observed the way how Sam interacted with Angela. True he had seen many men fall for her but none showed genuine concern like Sam did. They acted like very good friends but Jason was certain that it had the potential to go further. “Don’t worry about it too much. They’ve been rattling cages all evening before you showed up.”

Sam had been peering at Angela while she was trying to look around and make sure that the rat pack was gone. At least she was back to normal breathing. He let go of her upper arm and replied, “Trouble seems to follow us.”

“I would hope not. This is neutral territory.”

“I think a few have forgotten that Hakim,” Angela replied after giving a reassuring smile and an arm pat to Sam. She faced the young head of his family and gave a smile, “Though I think you really are taking the whole tradition thing to the extreme.”

Hakim looked at the trio and replied, “All part of restoring the spirit of things. I do apologize to you, Sam and Jason.”

“None needed,” Jason replied.

Hakim nodded before turning his attention towards Angela, “I was wondering if I could speak to you about a few things. It’s in regards to the exhibition. Jason perhaps you could introduce Sam to some of the other competitors in the, excuse the expression, war room?”

Angela suspected that Hakim had to tell her something important. She gave a slight nod to Sam to indicate that it was okay. Haley would keep Dean out of trouble. She followed Hakim as he escorted her towards a large table. “Hakim you have me wondering.”

Hakim led her up to where he had been talking with the other heads and to his friend. He said out loud, “Friends, I would like to introduce you to Absolution. Hendrickson, this is the one that I told you about and Absolution this is Agent Hendrickson of the FBI.”

Agent Henricksen extended a hand and grasped Angela’s hand. “A pleasure.”


	5. Chapter 5

Agent Henricksen looked at the woman Hakim had brought to the table. She was beautiful and he had a hard time believing that she was a fighter. She even had soft hands as he took one and in a display of politeness, he gave a polite peck. As soon as he righted himself up he realized what he did and almost frowned at what he did.

Angela felt like she had received a kick in the gut when she realized what Hakim was doing. She could recognize the ones that were the heads of the other five families since they had a certain air about them but the one that Hakim personally introduced her to… she knew who he was and her first thought was that they were screwed and her instincts were going crazy to protect Sam and Dean. However she willed herself to stay put after realizing that was why Hakim asked Jason to take Sam and in essence ‘hide’ him. That still left Dean out there though it was Haley…

Angela looked at the FBI agent and gave a smile that was enough to disarm any opponents. She could flirt and had done so on occasion but had never gone so far as actually seduction. In her mind that just led to unnecessary pain and complications.  This was a mild thing so it was polite. She replied to Henrickson, “It is rare to find chivalry in this day in age. The pleasure is mine Agent Henricksen.”

“Victor,” Henricksen replied with a smile. “Call me Victor. Is there a name I can call you?”

Angela knew that it was a big risk to even tell him her name but she had been raised on manners and the longer she kept Hendrickson occupied, the better chances of keeping Sam and Dean out of the picture. She smiled back and replied, “Angela. How do you know Hakim? I thought I knew all of his friends.” She gave a slight glance at Hakim as if to say that he put her in a difficult spot.

Hakim knew that she knew his old friend and he was right in that she knew he was on the Winchester’s trail. He was also right in that Victor had been captured by her beauty and would probably be distracted all evening. That would raise the odds of the Winchesters of being undiscovered.

Henricksen was all eyes on Angela. He was still having trouble believing that the fighter he had heard so much about was this beautiful woman in front of him. He replied to her query, “Hakim and I go way back to college. Learned a lot about public speaking from this guy.” He made a gesture towards Hakim who smiled. “What about you? How do you know him though that is probably a silly question for me to ask since he did mention that you were friends?”

Angela smiled back. So there was one mystery solved. Henricksen was here because he was Hakim’s friend and he was the one that Hakim mentioned that was helping in regards to security. This could prove to be a problem if he stayed the entire time. She replied, “We are friends but I know him through his father. I helped him on a few occasions.”

“Yes we remember that illustrious occasion,” Lady Davenport decided to make her entrance. She had to admit that she was firmly surprised by the appearance of Absolution. The reputation seemed to contradict the appearance of the woman. “As I recall you were most persuasive but not entirely successful.”

Angela gave a polite smile. This was what she hated the most about gala parties like this. She replied, “Well the timing was probably not right. When change comes, it is never kind to those trying to bring it about even when most know that it is inevitable and necessary.”

Lady Davenport looked at Absolution. She disliked the fact that Zahir and Señor del Valle were looking at her with lust and Lwazi was giving her a thoughtful look. Yi Xiang was more or less her stoic self and observing everything with equal interest or disinterest. She could show this commoner a thing or two. She replied, “And this is coming from someone who has agreed to exhibit her talents in the name of tradition.”

“If only that brings about the change needed to remind others why we are gathered here,” Angela replied.

“Such eloquence you speak my dear,” Zahir entered as he effortlessly put himself near the agent but in full view of Absolution. He was enraptured with her and he could hardly wait to see what she was capable of.

Henricksen adjusted himself so that Angela’s attention would be focused on him. He said, “Hakim did say that you were a woman who believed in tradition but also in change.”

Angela felt like she was enduring a torture session. She hadn’t failed to see the lecherous looks from Zahir and Sr. del Valle nor the jealous one that was being concealed in Lady Davenport’s eyes. At least Lwazi was giving her a consideration as if he weren’t sure of what to make of her. Yi Xiang gave her the same look that she gave everybody so Angela felt better about that. She looked at Henricksen and replied, “I believe that not all change is terrible. Change is how society grows. However it is possible to get lost along the way which is why tradition reminds us of who we are.”

It sounded like perfect politician rhetoric and Angela knew it. It made her feel dirty but with the fact that she was keeping secrets from people like Henricksen and they were hidden in plain sight… it just was the way it was. Henricksen didn’t mind since he had heard stuff like that working for the bureau and the like. He may be rough and hardass when he was trying to get the job done but he knew when it was time to put on the dinner jacket and play nice. He suspected that Angela was the same way. He said, “Very eloquent and yet you speak with honest sincerity. A poet and a fighter.”

“Not too different if you are willing to look that deep Victor,” Angela nearly hesitated when she spoke Hendrickson’s name. By speaking it, it implied familiarity and friendliness that while she was willing to be so, it didn’t mean that it was a permanent fixture. “So now you know about me, I know next to nothing about you.”

“There is not much to say.”

Angela knew she had to lay on the charm and she used her best weapon: her version of the puppy dog eyes. “Surely you have interesting stories about the FBI?”

“Sure I do but who wants to hear about chasing down high profile killers and white collar crime?”

“You seem to forget quite easily that I am a warrior,” Angela replied with her persuasive smile. She didn’t need to use her compulsion or anything like that. “Such things can be a source of inspiration in training as well as competition.”

Henricksen couldn’t help it. He couldn’t say no to her and she seemed genuinely interested in knowing what he was up to these days. He replied, “Well currently I’m on the trail of two very dangerous men. One was accused of murder, both escaped from prison and both are suspected of a bank robbery in Minnesota. Not to mention the numerous credit card scams and the idea they believe there are monsters.”

“Sounds like they are a bunch of loonies,” Angela replied inwardly cringing at that. “However I am surprised that you haven’t caught up with them.”

“I was wondering that too. They are very resourceful but no one is that lucky,” Henricksen replied. “It considered that they might have some help. Who knows how many friends the Winchester brothers have?”

“Oh so that’s who they are,” Angela replied. “Please tell me more about them.” She then led Hendrickson off a little bit away but not too far from the heads since she still wanted to make sure nothing went wrong. She gave a smile towards Hendrickson and proceeded to listen with interest on where he was at in his case.

****

“I didn’t think that you would be at a place like this,” Dean smiled at Haley, genuinely glad to see a familiar face among the crowd of humans and certainly nonhumans. He was certain he spotted a couple of shifters as well as a vampire or two and one guy looked like he might be some sort of lizard thing.

Haley smiled and gave Dean a genuine hug. It had been a few months since they actually saw each other and a month after she called him to warn him about Angela. She stared into Dean’s hazel green eyes and replied, “I had a feeling that Angie would be here and I came on the hunch that you and Sam would follow.”

“You calling us puppies?” Dean gave a mock scowl that was ruined by the grin on his face.

“You certainly act like it,” Haley replied as she started walking and leading Dean away from prying eyes of interested parties. “So how did you and Sam get to be here?”

Dean couldn’t express how glad he was to see Haley. There was something about her that made her different from the other women in his life. It was like the feeling he got with Lisa but it was different. Maybe it was the fact that they were bonded by the dark choices they made in their lives. He couldn’t say but at least this night was turning out better than he thought.

Seeing that Haley was waiting for him to respond, he replied, “Sam got into a fight.”

Haley looked at Dean and replied, “Really?”

“Well thing is people seem to think that because Sam is freakishly huge, they have to try and kick his ass in order to prove how tough they are.”

Haley smiled and gave a slight eye roll. She certainly got that impression when she first met Sam. “I take it that it happens quite a bit.”

“More often in bars and that is because Sasquatch can’t handle it when someone tries to get fresh with Angie. It’s picked up ever since she made her debut in that club,” Dean replied as he grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to Haley. Might as well look the part. “Kid thinks he has to protect her when she’s been beatin’ them off since she was probably fifteen and with a big stick.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Haley replied as she took a sip. So Dean noticed that attitude with Sam too. It wouldn’t be long before she would figure it out. “So really what did happen?”

Dean took a sip, trying not to guzzle it like he would a beer. He replied, “Well, Sam wasn’t doing nothing except going for a walk. Some douches decided to pick a fight but Sam refused. They ganged up on him anyway and that is where Angie came in.”

“And?”

“Well the way Sam tells it, she tried to get them to back off but their leader decided that Sam still needed to fight. So here we are.”

“That sounds like you were forced here.”

“Well it was a tough choice. Since Angie was the one standing in for Sam, she had to decide to say yes and Sam goes up against them one on one or she could’ve said no and then we would have to be looking over our backs all the time. She made the lesser of two evils choice.” Dean took another sip from his flute as if to hide from the possible repercussions about his revelation. It was more though like a challenge as if he were daring her to say something bad about Angela.

Haley could see the retreat. At first she thought it was misplaced guilt but then she recognized it as a silent challenge. It seemed that he had no problem with it. Still she had to ask, “Are you okay with that? I mean it is your brother that’s going to fight.”

“I trust Angie. She has been there even when we weren’t on speaking terms and has done nothing but try to keep us out of trouble.” Dean lowered his voice since he didn’t want to be overheard when he told Haley the next part, “She was willing to become completely human or at least a human with freaky powers in exchange for getting a hearing to break my deal. She would rather put herself in danger first.”

Haley was surprised. To go that far just to be granted a hearing? She wasn’t wrong in her assumption that Angela cared more than she let on at times about the Winchester boys. She replied, “I understand that. Seems to me she would do what you are willing to do for Sam like making your deal so that he would come back. Sounds a bit like what family would do.”

Dean shrugged his shoulders a little. He never thought about it seriously like that but it did feel that way at times especially with the way how Angela would fuss over the little things like holes in his shirts or the fact that he tried to get away with wearing the same pair of socks two days in a row. He allowed, “Sounds like it. So really Haley why are you here? This a part of you traveling on for a while before going home?”

Haley knew Dean didn’t want to talk anymore about that which was why he changed the subject. She would go with it and replied, “Actually I’m paying a visit to my grandfather since he is in town.”

“Grandfather?”

“From my father’s side. Lwazi, head of the family in Africa.”

“You mean one of the six heads of the six families that puts on this shindig?” Dean had no idea what to make of it. At first he thought Haley being Celtic was out of place and he did sort of forget that her dad was a witch doctor.

“And a staunch supporter of Hakim’s idea to return the tournament back to what it was. He agreed and joined when Hakim’s father was head of the family before he died.”

“Old age?”

“No. Hakim won’t say anything but Grandfather says that he was murdered and by one of the other families and not by the sword but by witch mojo. How much of that is true, only Hakim knows…”

“And he’s not sharing,” Dean finished, “So does the kid have any idea if someone is gunning for him next?”

“I think so but he is more concerned with the other heads here being targeted. If something were to happen say one of them dying, it could be used as an excuse to keep things the way they are or turn the tournament into what it was created for: a means to wage war.” Haley gave a slightly nervous smile as she drained the last of her champagne. She grabbed another and put the empty one on the tray. “That’s why I think Hakim is riding heavily on his choices for the main exhibition match.”

“So Angie volunteered as protection detail? Figures and she didn’t want to worry us so she said nothing.”

“Either that or she wanted to make sure that there was no threat. Why worry if nothing is going to happen? Besides that’s not the reason I made sure that you saw me.”

Dean grinned his endearing smile that had Angela pinching his cheek in affection. “And here I was thinking that you did that all for me. So what is the problem?”

Haley smiled and gave a kiss to Dean’s cheek since they were being watched by people but she felt the need to anyway. She replied, “Oh that we need to keep you and Sam out of sight of Hakim’s friend and consultant of security for the night.”

“Why is that?”

“Are you familiar with Special Agent Victor Henricksen?”

****

Sam had never seen so many men around that looked like they belonged at a costume party given that some were wearing colors that were bright and some had no qualms showing their non human side. He was certain that the lizard like guy in the corner was a breeding ground for hepatitis or salmonella and the one lady with the inky black eyes that moved too much like a bird; he thought she was a demon and would have tried an exorcism if Jason hadn’t stopped him and explained that she wasn’t a demon.

One would think out of all the creatures he had come across while hunting he would be used to seeing the strange and unusual. Unfortunately it was a little hard to see so many things out there drinking and getting along like they were the best of friends. Hell he could digest Angela’s revelation that she set Yellow Eyes free better than what he was seeing. Even traditional enemies were in here and drinking and eating together.

Jason watched as Sam eyed everything in bewilderment and wariness. He didn’t blame the guy at all. He just hoped that he could keep him in here until he was given the okay. Then again he could let Sam in on it and everything would work out. It was something that would have to be worked up to. He looked at Sam sitting at the table they were at and looking at a woman who was bench pressing a guy bigger than she was. He said, “The place is neutral. Here even enemies become friends for a little while.”

Sam looked at Jason and replied, “I kind of know that.” He took a drink of the tankard that had been placed in front of him by a burly man with a ruddy face and looked like he belonged up north in Scandinavia or something.

Jason realized what Sam was drinking and concluded that if he drank anymore, he was going to have a whopping headache later on. Few could handle malt mead. He would have to get it away from Sam otherwise Angela would probably lash out at him. He replied, “Hey I don’t doubt that. I guessed you to be the scholar. So why not ease up on the mead?” He reached for the tankard cautiously.

Sam didn’t resist. In fact, he wasn’t sure of anything except that he felt warm and fuzzy all over. He did have the sense to realize that he was probably getting drunk and should stop. He let Jason take it saying, “That stuff’s not bad.”

“And the fact that you’re coherent after nearly a whole tankard is a testament to your stamina.”

“Jason you old seadog, you should know better than ta steal a man’s mead.”

Jason gave a slight eye roll and faced the ruddy faced man and replied, “And you know better than to try and get newbies too drunk. Besides I don’t think his master would appreciate it. She has a fine temper Theodor.”

Sam looked at the ruddy faced Theodor who actually got a look of worry over his face. The guy looked at him and asked, “Yer trainer ain’t Gaia now is it?”

Even though he felt buzzed from the alcohol, Sam was lucid enough to follow the conversation and was able to respond, “No.”

“Mai-Ling?”

Jason decided to have pity. Theodor could get flustered enough and he would worry who he was offending. His fault that he was a womanizer and the women he picked happened to be trainers and warriors. He said, “Absolution.”

Jason didn’t say it out loud but it seemed that everyone heard. Sam could swear he had never heard a place get so quiet. Well actually the only time it ever was quiet was when he was hunting. He looked around at all the faces staring at him. It brought back the old feelings from being in school and called a freak.

Theodor looked at Sam and asked, “You are Sam?”

Sam frowned not sure what was going on. “Yeah. How do you know?”

Theodor started laughing out loud. It wasn’t the mocking laughter but rather the good natured kind. “Well by Thor’s hammer! At first I thought it was a joke but now I’m looking at the real deal. I never thought she would be a ruddy trainer and to a human no less. Pleasure to meet you.”

Sam felt himself being jerked out of his seat by a powerful grip and grasped into a bear hug. He was thoroughly confused and certainly was sober now. “Um… a little…”

Theodor released Sam and looked at him. “Let me tell ya something boy. Absolution is one tough gal. They don’t tell stories about her fer nuthin. Yer very lucky to have her as yer trainer. In fact I look forward to seeing what she showed ya.”

Sam looked at Jason who seemed to be content with just watching. What did he let himself get into? “Um thanks?”

Theodor laughed and gave Sam a rather hard slap on the back before turning towards the bar and the others shouting like a drunken idiot, “He said thanks! Things are looking up now that Absolution is here.” He then tottered off to join the others who went back to their socializing leaving Sam alone with Jason.

Sam frowned as he sat back down. The slap hurt but it was nothing compared to the one time Angela smacked him with her staff when she went over forms. “I take it most of these guys know about Angie?”

“The appropriate question would be who doesn’t know about her,” Jason replied. “I’m guessing you didn’t know about her until you first met huh?”

“More or less,” Sam admitted. “My brother and I learned quite a bit traveling with her. How do you know her?”

“I sailed into port on my ship the Argo.”

Sam gave the bitch face, clearly annoyed that he was being screwed with. First Lenya decided he was to be Theseus and now this crap about Jason and the Argonauts? “Seriously. The Argo?”

Jason chuckled, “Yeah. I’m living up the joke that my parents saddled me with since I was five. I love the sea, became a sailor and got my own ship and to really rock your world, it is not one of those cruise yachts but an actual wind and sail ship.”

Sam relaxed a little, “Good, cause I thought you were going to say you were over two thousand years old or something. I can see where Angie gets her knack for surprising people from.”

“No I get it from her.” Jason laughed at the joke he gave Sam. If only it really were a joke. It was then he noticed something in the corner of the room. It was a dark shadow and he could recognize the distinct look of a cross bow.

No weapons were allowed into the reception. A plot was going on. He had to get to the bottom of this but he couldn’t risk exposing Sam to Henricksen.

Sam noticed the change of expression and asked, “Trouble?”

“Yes. I need to find Angela.”

“Need help?”

Jason had stood up and started walking with Sam in tow. He looked around and replied, “No. You need to stay in here.” Before Sam could protest, he explained, “There’s someone here from the FBI, an Agent Henricksen. I know he is after you and Dean since he mentioned you by name before you walked in. He can’t come in here so it’s fine.”

Sam got it but his first thoughts came out, “Dean? Angie?”

“The girl Dean is with will keep him busy. The veranda is a good place to hide and Angela is with him right now. He doesn’t know about the three of you. Right now stay here. There may be trouble and I need to let her know.”

It then dawned on Sam, “It’s the heads of the six families, right?”

Jason nodded, “Yes,” and then left.


	6. Chapter 6

Angela wondered if she was going to have to endure mindless chatter for the rest of the night. She could hardly blame it on Henricksen since he proved to be informative on his investigation. She feigned enough interest to keep him talking and he gave it up. She felt bad that she was exploiting his good nature for she knew that Victor Hendrickson was a good person at heart and he was only doing his job. However she couldn’t do what she promised John if the boys were in prison.

Henricksen had never found someone so interested in police work before. He did manage to get a good look at the jealous glares he was receiving from the other VIPs at the table. Apparently they all wanted to monopolize Angela’s attention. He figured it was that natural charisma he sensed when she walked up. He said, “You know with all the questions you’ve been asking, it makes me think that you might be a cop yourself.”

Angela gave a slight laugh, “Actually I had a good teacher. He taught me how to question things and how to ask a question.”

“Sounds like something a lawyer would say but I think you would make a hell of an investigator,” Henricksen replied.

“Well I sort of do that in my day job,” Angela replied. She had begun to notice something in the shadows on one of the balconies. Something was up but she couldn’t let on. “I investigate and find things that most people say are impossible to find.”

“You’re not into the whole ghosts and monsters thing are you?”

“No. I guess you could put me along the lines of an investigative reporter,” Angela replied not really stretching the truth. She and the boys did investigate when they went on a hunt and they often found things that people did say were impossible. “Mostly research kind of things.”

Henricksen nodded clearly impressed. “If you are as good as you say you are, there might be a chance for you to work with the bureau. If you’re interested.”

“Well I like the way things are going now but I will keep it in mind Victor. Maybe I might follow you on your exploits as you try to catch those Winchesters.” Okay maybe that was stretching it but it wasn’t like Angela was going to come out and tell Hendrickson that she was keeping an eye on him. That sounded like stalking.

“Hey if you can write that up, I might include it in the paperwork.”

At this point Zahir had grown impatient with the fact that the human FBI agent was monopolizing the beautiful Absolution. He started forward and in a teasing manner said, “My dear Absolution, surely you wish to hear of other things besides police work?”

Angela thought that comment insulting and she would rather be caught dead than in Zahir’s company. He was worse than his brother who was long dead, good riddance. She looked at Henricksen and replied sweetly, “Oh we were talking more in terms of battle Zahir. You see Victor here is after two vicious criminals and he had been following all leads and trying to figure out where they will strike next. It’s like playing chess since you are battling an opponent and trying to guess which move he will make along with the moves you plan to make.”

“Intelligent and beautiful and it is a shame that I won’t be able to see you in your match,” Henricksen replied smiling at Zahir. He hadn’t liked the comment either but appreciated Angela’s attempt at fighting back.

That was news to Angela’s ears and she played on it, “Oh that is a shame. Will you be able to see any of the matches?”

“No, I have to hit the road in the morning. Just like you said, I have to anticipate where the Winchesters will strike next.” Henricksen smiled at Angela.

Angela returned the smile. All along she had been noticing movements but wasn’t quite sure of what to make of it. She was relieved and yet panicked when Jason came sauntering through the crowd and greeted her with a more flamboyant show of affection. She exclaimed, “There you are Jason. I was beginning to thing this sea of humanity caused another hero to be lost at sea.”

Jason had worked his way through the crowd after losing sight of the suspicious character upon leaving the war room. At least Sam was fine with staying where he was after he explained a few things. He just hoped Theodor didn’t try to get him drunk again. He spotted Angela standing with Henricksen and figured that she was keeping him from moving around and she was near the heads of the families.

With a swagger and a genuine flow of emotion he sauntered up and gave her the tradition kiss on both cheeks. He replied to her, “No I found a safe port and weighed anchor for a moment before hitting the seas again. Enjoying yourself?”

Angela gave a nod and a smile and introduced Jason to Henricksen and, not to be rude, Zahir who was rather miffed at the welcome intrusion. She replied, “Never better though now that you mention the sea, I have started to imagine myself in the crow’s nest overlooking the sea.”

Jason knew that the nautical talk was confusing to others but it showed that they were two people who liked boats and sailing. He replied, “Ah I remember that memory. You were overlooking the homeland of your ancestors Sicily, no?”

“Further north and it would always appear port side,” Angela replied with a hand flourish.

That allowed Jason to follow her hand movement and look out. He spotted the movement of the curtains that wasn’t wind. He knew where he had to go. “Ah yes now I remember and you would swing down like an arrow, straight and true. Well it was a pleasure seeing you again. Now maybe I can find an old friend and pray that he hasn’t had too much mead.” He then gave Angela a hand kiss and left the area with a swagger and headed towards the war room.

“Good memories?”

Angela looked at Henricksen. She smiled and felt that her face was going to be in a permanent fixture of a smile. She kept her eye on the parapets searching. She replied, “Yes. We always remind each other of an adventure we’ve had. That was before I got into what I do now.”

“You seem to have quite an interesting collection of friends,” Henricksen replied. He failed to notice how alert Angela had gotten and her glances towards the parapets. They were subtle and they didn’t detract from the politeness she was exhibiting to everyone nearby.

Angela replied, “Well that’s what I get for being a frequent traveler.”

There is was in the shadows on the parapet. Something was poking out of the curtains but she couldn’t get a fix on the angle. _Jason you better pick it up._ Angela darted her eyes around and for a brief moment caught Sam, Dean and Haley peering around. Great. She knew they wouldn’t stay put even with Haley around.

There it was. It was pointing and it was aiming right at the heads. Angela had to react quickly. In the meantime Henricksen finally noticed that something was wrong. He asked, “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” He looked around trying to see what she was looking at or the source of what was bothering her. He missed seeing his number one suspects as he looked.

Angela replied, “Not if I can help it.”

The arrow went flying. With all the noise, no one could hear the whistle it would have made except for those with exceptional hearing like a vampire or Chaser. Angela reacted instantly with a short run and pivoting on her feet, she flipped forward to land on the table all the while giving her war cry in midair. She landed in front of Yi Xiang or rather to the right of the woman and in a backwards motion Angela reached back and caught the arrow in a crouched position.

She didn’t even bother to look for it to make sure she had it. She knew she had it the moment her hand closed on the shaft. Ignoring the gasps from the crowd she turned to look back at the parapet where it came from. She saw Jason giving the perpetrator a couple of good punches to disable him. He looked at her and gave her the signal that it was all clear from there. Angela though scanned to make sure that no other surprises lighted on them.

“That was a marvelous performance you cooked up Hakim,” Lady Davenport decided to speak. “I never thought that you would be exhibiting talents in a planned performance like that; especially since it was our dear Absolution who caught the offending object headed right for Yi Xiang. I say that was very honorable and astute.” She began clapping her hands.

The result was everyone in the room clapping and cheering. It grew louder when they heard her mention Absolution. Angela had slowly come out of her position still holding the arrow in her hand. She raised it a little to show a sign of victory and the like and gave a slight smile. She looked over and saw Hakim who was rather worried but doing his best to hide it. She stood on the table and gave a slight wave and mouthed her thank yous.

“That was rather impressive,” Henricksen said as he offered a hand down.

Not wanting to appear rude since there were now about a hundred or so eyes on her, Angela took the hand with her free hand and hopped down. She replied, “I’m glad you think so.”

“Now I know I am going to regret not seeing you but I get the feeling that you are going to shine,” Henricksen said. He was tempted to take Angela’s other hand but since she was still clinging to the arrow, he decided against it. He turned to Hakim and said, “Well Hakim, this has been a great party. I’m sorry I can’t stay for the whole thing but duty calls.”

Hakim shook his friend’s hand and replied, “Glad you can come, Vic. I’ll let you know what happens during the event.” He gave a slight toss of his head towards Angela to indicate that he would let him know about her.

Henricksen shook his friend’s hand, “That’ll be fine. You know how to reach me.” He then turned towards Angela and smiled, “Well I guess I should go. Great performance. Maybe we’ll see each other again.”

This was exactly what Angela wanted to avoid. Henricksen liked her, just like any guy she happened to come across and he was the one after Sam and Dean. That was like something out of Dean’s wonderland. She couldn’t afford to be rude though and replied, “Maybe we will. I’m sure Hakim will let me know of your progress in catching those two criminals.”

“No problem,” Henricksen replied, “Good-night.” He then gave her a kiss on the cheek and turned and left.

“Good-night, Victor,” Angela replied as she accepted the kiss. She watched him leave the room passing where now only Dean and Haley were. Sam she saw nowhere in sight and wondered where the hell he went to.

She couldn’t go anywhere however since she was accosted by the other heads of the families and warriors who saw the whole thing. She managed to get to Yi Xiang and muttered in Mandarin if she was all right. Yi Xiang didn’t say much except to say that she was fine. Angela stayed close by her the rest of the evening, refusing offers of dancing, chit chat or whatever the boys decided in the flirting game.

Finally the evening wore down and people started heading back to their rooms. Angela remained behind with the heads still holding the arrow. She took the time to inspect it while Jason dragged in the perpetrator. She had seen that style of arrow before but she wasn’t quite sure. She couldn’t put her finger on it.

“The guy killed himself before I could get anything out of him,” Jason explained to the heads.

“This is outrageous. We all know it wasn’t planned but thanks to Lady Davenport, no one is the wiser,” Zahir said. “What are you going to do about this Hakim?” He looked at the boy who had seemed to recover from what happened and was searching for the words to say.

Angela saved him from answering, “We’re going to proceed as planned. This was obviously a scare attempt to prevent Hakim from succeeding in returning the tournament to what it originally was in spirit. I know that Hakim has the security in place for the event. If anything he had been diligent in making sure nothing happens to you.”

“So you are saying that we should risk our lives for this?” Lady Davenport asked as if Angela were the idiot.

“As I said,” Angela replied, “Hakim arranged the security as good as any. Besides if I’m not mistaken in order to be head of your respective families, one has to be skilled in combat as well. It’s not all politics and business.”

The other heads murmured. That was true. The six families were chosen for their skill in battle and because they showed the highest standards of honor and courage. Lwazi said, “I agree with Absolution. I will be staying on. Besides it has been a while since I have seen Hapi and Satet dance at a tournament and have been portrayed by two worthy warriors.”

Angela watched as the heads left. She looked at Hakim who gave her a grateful smile. She nodded and returned it. She would help him but she would need some help. She looked at Jason and gave a smile before heading off to find her missing Winchesters and Bobby. There was a lot of work to be done.

****

The halls were dark now that everything had been bedded for the night. The only source of light was a series of torches that left just enough light for someone walking through not to bump into walls. It reflected the temples and the palaces of the days of old with the tapestries and silk hangings on the walls.

Angela looked around as she walked through the halls. Even in the dimmed light, she could see everything but she wasn’t finding what she was looking for. She knew that Dean was occupied with Haley and she knew that Haley had a few surprises for Dean since the girl did give her one of those looks after she caught up with them in the halls. Bobby was in their quarters so the only person missing was Sam and she decided to go and look for him since tonight’s events had her thinking about what was going on and she didn’t want him to get into unnecessary trouble.

Angela had no idea why Sam would disappear or if someone actually made him disappear. Jason offered to help her find him but she refused. The excuse she gave was that Jason needed to be rested for his competition. She assumed he was a competitor. As she looked around, she prayed that Theodor hadn’t found Sam and attempted to ‘man him up’ by challenging him to a mead drinking contest. That would have her working overtime to get him sober. She knew how that malt mead could give a kick.

She rounded a corner, stopping every so often to give a sniff. She didn’t expect the smell of blood but being back amongst warriors brought back the memories of the individual stenches of them. She could smell Theodor’s mixture of body odor and mead and where he had been. Jason’s salty sea air clung to him even after spending more time on dry land than the sea. She promised she would find a way for him and she had since the gods didn’t answer her plea that time.

Suddenly she stopped. There was one smell that she hadn’t smelled in a long time and she had hoped never to smell it again. Quickly she sniffed for the other scent that usually accompanied the repulsive one and one she would rather be in the company of. Finding it absent, Angela sighed silently and mentally prepared herself. She looked around but couldn’t find the source and yet the smell was stronger than ever.

“That was an impressive display at the gala, my sweet. Too bad you and I both know that it wasn’t planned. Hell I think that most of the other warriors here didn’t think so either.”

Angela turned around towards the voice. The smell was the strongest and she looked up into the eyes of… “Lykos, I never thought I’d see the day when I would see your ugly mug again.”

Lykos leaned against the wall where he had been hiding. Earlier he had spread his scent around knowing that Angela would pick up on it. He had seen her when she came in and the old memories came back. She was supposed to be his and it would have been a union unlike that which the world had never seen. The impossible would be made possible. Then she had to refuse. He could still claim her though. There was nothing in the rules about that. “Aww it was so nice that you remembered me.” He advanced towards his sweet.

Angela stood her ground but she really didn’t want to be within twenty feet of him. Tentatively she took a step back. “Powerful smells can invoke pretty nasty memories. Though there are some smells that I would be rather glad to smell again. Where is Lycan? You two are inseparable but he was the more bearable of you two.”

Lykos looked at Angela and took another step forward. Again she moved back. He replied with that suave and devil may care attitude that many women found appealing back home. “Lycan sadly is doing the ‘honorable’ thing and retired. He couldn’t stop talking about you but like the gentle shy bastard he is, he is probably in his room composing a poem to you.”

“At least he knows how to treat women.”

“Right. Like you would know anything about that,” Lykos replied taking another step. “You were always more of a man in your ways but I will hand it to you. You have a certain grace about you that has even my brother falling head over heels for you.”

“I’d like to think it is my charming personality,” Angela replied stepping back. She could take on Lykos but Lycan was devoted to him. Even when Lycan found out what a creep his brother was, he still stuck by him. Under any other circumstance she admired that loyalty and devotion by siblings but this was something else and she felt sorry for Lycan. At least he tried with his brother and maybe there was hope. “After all I have plenty of friends who don’t think that they have to own me.”

“You were supposed to be mine. I did everything proper in the eyes of the family that hosted you.”

“And I told them as I told you: that I would rather sleep with pigs than be joined with you.”

Lykos had it and he swooped in. He grabbed Angela by her upper arms and pushed her against the wall. He grinned in pleasure as he watched her wince from the impact. Oh yes, he can give just as hard a punch as she could. “And you dishonored me. Chose my brother over me.”

Angela grunted under the position Lykos was holding her. He had a tight grip but then again his people were not all that different from her full blooded kind. She always regretted running to Lycan after the last time Lykos tried to convince her to marry him. She wanted to tell him good-bye since she made the decision to go back on the road since she owed him that much and Lykos spotted them and swore he would get back at her one day.

If that night was it, Angela was going to try her damnedest to make it difficult for Lykos. She replied, “You know that isn’t true Lykos. After what you did, I couldn’t stay. I owed Lycan an explanation in person rather than any lies that you would have told him.” She could feel his grip tighten on her upper arms.

“He wouldn’t have believed me anyway. You already had him under your spell. If you had just agreed to join with me, you could have had us both. Either way it would have done what this world needs.”

“I know about your plans. Unite two of the world’s deadliest creatures where you maintain control; yeah like that was going to work with me. Then you tried to rape Lilah to achieve your ends and you got caught. You deserved whatever disgrace you reaped.”

Lykos tightened his grip on Angela’s arms. He growled aware that it sounded more animal than human but that couldn’t be helped. No more than his animal side rearing its head now that he felt his body temperature rise. He would have her. “A disgrace you brought on which can only be fixed in one way.”

“I won’t…”

“Won’t what?” Lykos replied as he leaned in. He began a systematic approach of sniffing her. He sniffed her hair and trailed it down to the side of her neck on the side that he knew was sensitive. He touched his nose and breathed deeply. He could smell salty sea air on her mingled in with the smell of wild roses. He growled in pleasure as she trembled from his ministrations.

Angela felt the old panic start to rise from deep within. In her mind’s eye, she saw someone else and she saw the flames. She could hear the laughter. She struggled against Lykos’ grip and then felt something press against her abdomen. She could recognize the feeling of a small knife or dagger.

_This shouldn’t hurt. After all you’ve bled during wars and battles._

Angela could feel rage starting to build but it was not enough to counter the fear that had grown to a nerve numbing proportion. It was enough to contort her features into an angry glance and her eyes flickered. “I won’t let you have your way.”

Lykos couldn’t help but laugh at her. “Really? I have you under my control and your resistance is too much like Lilah’s: pathetic. So you just go ahead and resist because no one is going to save you and everyone will know what you really are after I have my way with you.” He leaned in and nuzzled her neck amidst her struggles.

“Let her go.”

Angela turned to see Sam. She tried to move but the blade pressed against her abdomen and she could feel the point. Lykos growled and looked at Sam and said, “Back off. This is no concern of yours.”

Sam had been wandering the halls after he had seen what had happened during the reception when he heard noises. He recognized one set belonging to Angela as she talked to the guy trying to violate her. He couldn’t explain it but he felt angry, just like he did at that club and that was just a touch. This was full on attempted… No one treated her like that. He replied, “I said let her go.”

Lykos wondered who this boy was that was interfering. He always liked to hear the name of the one he was going to kill. “And I said this was no concern of yours.” He pressed his knife against Angela’s abdomen and she felt her hand grasp the blade and push back. He pushed harder but they were locked. “I suggest you leave now boy or you’ll find blood on your hands. Your own and hers.”

Sam would have reacted but he stopped. He caught a glimpse of the knife and her hand on it, pressing against the douche’s strength. “The name is Sam and I said let her go… douchey.”

“Heh. Tough guy are ya? Do you really want to risk her life over this when you can just walk away,” Lykos replied. “This is your last chance.”

“I don’t think so, Lykos.”

Suddenly Lykos found himself falling into a wall and heard the sound of cloth ripping. He felt a knee to his gut that was hard like a rock. He reacted and backhanded his attacker and sent Angela flying hard into another wall. What he didn’t see was Sam pulling him around and delivering a punch to his face. Lykos staggered but he still had his knife. He held it out and a feral grin rose on his face as his animal half reared its head. So the boy wanted to play.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam didn’t expect Angela to suddenly stop resisting the pressure of the knife but he quickly realized that by pressing back, she gave herself room to maneuver so that when she let go, the guy holding her fell into the wall. He expected the knee to the gut from her since he hadn’t forgotten how she beat the crap out of that guy when she went incredible Hulk. He didn’t like it when the guy hit her and sent her flying into the wall.

Sam watched as she landed in a heap and didn’t move. He reacted and grabbed the guy and threw a punch. It was probably stupid since the guy was obviously someone like Angela but his temper was up. The guy had an advantage over him since he had a knife but Sam had worse odds before. He squared off with the guy holding his hands up, ready to strike if he had to.

Lykos had to admit that he was impressed with the boy’s mettle in standing up to him. He had never met a human with so much gumption before. “You really want to fight don’t you?”

“No I don’t. But I won’t hesitate if someone tries to hurt my brother or her,” Sam motioned towards Angela’s unconscious figure, “And I swear it won’t be pretty.”

Lykos couldn’t help but laugh. “You would defend her?” Lykos pointed at Angela. “Her? The one who betrayed me for my brother? You would defend the little slut?”

Sam felt his throat convulse in anger, “Don’t call her that. Don’t you _ever_ call her that!”

“You think you can make me?” Lykos had started circling Sam and watched as he followed him. He waved the knife in his careless fashion. “Do you have any idea what I am?”

“How about an asshole who thinks he can have his way with women?”

“You’ve got lip. I’ll give you that,” Lykos replied. “However lip counts for very little here.” He let his own eyes flicker.

Sam noticed the guys eyes flicker. It was similar to Chasers but it was different. “You’re a Chaser?”

“As if. I see you are ignorant in your creature species. You really think I have the blood of bloodsuckers in these veins?” Lykos pointed at himself with a mocking incredulous look on his face. “You have a lot to learn and I shall enjoy giving you a lesson. Lykos threw his knife so that it embedded itself in the wall behind Sam. He bent over and let his eyes flicker in its true power. He let out a feral growl and snarled at Sam.

Sam readied himself for a potential tackle. The sounds this guy was making sounded like a pack of wild dogs or something. He had no idea what this guy was but he did know that he wasn’t a Chaser. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to go easy on the guy. Suddenly the guy sprang and grasped him to tackle him to the ground.

Meanwhile Angela managed to gain consciousness. Her head was pounding though since she hit the wall pretty hard. She rubbed the back of her head and felt blood. There was also blood on her hand where the knife cut. It was deep and would take some time to heal. The sounds of scuffling got a hold of her attention and she turned towards the scuffling.

Sam was struggling under Lykos’ grip and Angela saw the knife in his boot. Lykos reached for it and was going to cut Sam. Angela narrowed her eyes. The rage that had started to grow exploded. She barked out, “No.”

At that moment, Lykos was sent flying back into a vase that was decorating a corner. Sam gave a slight blink at what just happened and turned to look around. He saw Angela standing upright, the loose tendrils that had fallen out blowing as if a breeze were playing with them and her eyes were glowing orbs. She was glaring at Lykos who was pinned against the wall. She walked forward and was saying, “I despise you Lykos. I always have.”

Lykos looked at Angela who was walking towards him. She was magnificent. He rather liked seeing her pissed but he felt something else. He replied, “And why can’t you see that I want you?”

Angela saw only red at the moment. Something was surging through her blood. She pressed harder on Lykos as she looked at him in the eye. She then said, “You will receive judgment when your time comes.” She then sent him flying into another vase where he landed unconscious.

Sam had gotten to his feet and approached Angela. She hadn’t moved from where she had been standing. The wind was making her jacket billow. “Angie?”

Angela was looking at Lykos. It was transposed with her memories from a long time ago. She could see the flames, the flashes of light and the laughter. She could see old enemies and Lykos when she heard her name. She realized what had happened and with all her strength she forced herself to come down. She turned and saw Sam. She said the first thing that came to mind, “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She then saw black.

****

_What did ya two idjits get yerselves into?_

_I was just checking out the area. Someone had to have access to the entire place. That arrow was no accident. It was real._

_And ya don’t let her know? Ya knew that agent was around. Ya tryin’ to make her go crazy?_

_What are you getting hysterical about Bobby?_

_Sam, ya weren’t there with her when you…_

_Bobby I know that her powers are more than what I originally thought…_

_That ain’t half of it. From what you said, it sounds like it was a turbo charge brought on by seeing you nearly being knifed and what that asshole was trying to do to her…_

Angela heard the voices as consciousness slowly returned followed by a pounding headache. It felt like she went on a drinking binge with Theodor’s mead. She moaned slightly as she put a hand to her head and found that it had been cleaned and bandaged. She blinked trying to focus.

Sam was the first to hear her make noise. He said to Bobby, “She’s waking up.” He went over to the couch that he had put her on in the parlor and asked her, “You okay Angie?” He helped her sit up so that she wasn’t propping herself up on her elbows.

Angela accepted the help and sat up slowly, pausing to let the pain that shot through her temples. She rubbed her right temple and replied, “I will be when this headache goes away. Are you okay? Did Lykos do anything?”

Sam looked at Angela with a confused expression. “Uh Angie, Lykos didn’t do anything to me. You did something to him but… Um… did he hurt you?”

Angela rubbed her temple again. The pain was a dull throb now. She remembered clearly what happened up to the part where she let blind rage in. Of course she was already angry and worried, and then Lykos and then what he tried to do. She replied, “No.”

“Angie, I was wandering the halls and I saw whoever that was trying something that was either scaring you or pissing you off. The last time I saw that was when we headed to Grant,” Sam replied. “Who was that guy? And what did you do? You just sent him flying and pinned him like a demon would.”

Bobby watched Sam starting to badger her with questions. The boy was going to need to learn about timing with the questions but he could tell that it was genuine concern and he was sure that she knew that which was why she was not screaming at Sam like Dean would. He interrupted and asked, “What is the last thing that you remember?”

That was an easy one for Angela. She rubbed her head and began, “The last thing I remember was an emotion. I was…” She then looked at Sam and concluded, “Was being mad at you.”

“What did I do?” It was an automatic response for Sam.

“How about the fact that you made a conscious decision to wander around while an FBI agent and not just any agent but the agent that is chasing after you and Dean was in attendance and I’m pretty sure Jason explained it to you.”

Sam gave a slight shrug. “He did. I thought I could explore and see how the guy got in since I saw you catch that arrow.”

“Most anyone is allowed in since all comers are allowed until the first bout,” Angela replied. The headache was gone now but she took the pair of aspirin that Bobby handed to her. “Sam, Henricksen doesn’t know the true reason behind this. He thinks it’s just an entertainment event like a boxing match.” She sighed, “At least you’re fine and Dean is having fun time.”

Sam gave a slight roll of his eyes unaware it was a similar movement Angela did in sync with him. “I figured since I saw Haley when he did.” Realizing that Bobby probably was on the right track with his questions, he ventured, “Besides being mad at me… what else do you remember?”

Angela remembered up to the point where Sam made his appearance. “The whole thing with Lykos, the slime, until you came along. Lykos backhanded me and I hit the deck.”

“Lykos? Damn Angie do you have to pick a fight with everybody?” Bobby exclaimed. He knew about Lykos and that he was bad news. He knew that she traveled a lot and met a lot of people but this guy? Something was up with that.

“He picked a fight with me first. You try and see if you like it when he keeps trying to force your hand into marriage and when that doesn’t work pursue you out of lust and then tries to rape a friend of yours. Yeah I could pick a fight but I won’t because of…” Angela was getting herself worked up over nothing and they had a big day tomorrow. “You know just… enough for one night. Try and get some sleep especially you Sam.” She then turned and headed towards her room and shut the door leaving a very concerned Sam and Bobby behind.

“I was afraid of this,” Bobby said. “Now she’s either going to avoid everything or get so angry and I don’t know what will happen.”

Sam looked at her door and then at Bobby, “Why do you say that? Who is this Lykos?”

“A very mean guy whose life’s ambition is to create a dominant race mixing the bloodlines of the two most common creatures in lore and ones that people always pick up on.”

“He said he wasn’t a Chaser or a vampire but his eyes flickered like Angie’s does but it was different.” Sam frowned trying to understand what was going on. All he could see was that this guy had hurt Angela in some way like most of her known enemies did but it was on an emotional level and he didn’t like it.

Bobby could see the confusion and the attempt to understand in Sam’s eyes. He explained, “Lykos is part of a subspecies or maybe the predecessor to werewolves. No one really knows but the guy can shift like a shifter into a wolf and not the normal size kind. Huge and totally reliant on animal instinct.”

That seemed to make sense to Sam since he did hear an animal like growl escape from this Lykos fellow. It clicked then, “Wait so he wanted to marry someone with vampire blood and…?”

“Yep and apparently he thought Angie was his best choice.”

“But she refused.”

“And I’m guessing it started something and this Lykos blames her for it. Now that he has wind of her again, it makes sense now why this happened,” Bobby replied. He was aware some of what he said didn’t make much sense to Sam but it did to him. After all ever since he had a visit from the goddess, he had been doing some research of his own on Angela and it took some digging. “Pity, she was good friends with his brother.”

Sam remembered, “Lykos mentioned his brother. Called him a gentle giant.”

“Lycan is the older of the two and bigger. Twin boys and both the opposite as can be but Lycan is devoted to his little brother.” Bobby shrugged his shoulders. “Not that much different from you and Dean but at least one of you doesn’t plan on world domination or something.”

Sam wasn’t completely listening but thinking. He looked at Angela’s door again certain she could probably hear everything they were saying. She did have ears like a bat as Dean would say. It wasn’t worth it though to continue the discussion tonight though. “Yeah sure Bobby. Um… I’ll see ya in the morning.” He turned to go to the room they were given.

Bobby watched Sam leave and heaved a sigh. No doubt those two would be talking in the morning. He would just have to sit back and watch or be someone to sneak around and figure out who was trying to sabotage this thing.

****

Crowley gazed over the balcony of the room that he had been occupying. For a hell hole like the deserts of Texas, the view wasn’t bad and Hakim certainly knew how to make his guests feel comfortable. The night’s entertainment proved to be worth the initial hours of boredom. Just to watch her in action was something that sent a thrill down his spine.

Crowley took a sip of the brandy that came with his room. Hakim knew his tastes as well. It seemed the kid was going all out to make his guests comfortable. Crowley also knew that the kid would really stick to the rules on maintaining neutral ground. That however was going to be difficult since one of the six families didn’t want to play along.

The door sounded a knock. Crowley finished his sip of the brandy and said, “Enter.”

The creaked open and in slunk the little worm that he kept around since he was good at his job. Crowley waited until the worm was in the room before saying, “That was some party wasn’t it Cary?”

Cary replied, “Yes boss.” He really didn’t know why Crowley kept him on since it was evident that he had pissed the king of the crossroads off more times than he could count. In fact he was certain that the boss was going to put him under the knife or some other thing that was a part of the boss’ talents.  “It was a good party.”

Crowley chuckled, “Indeed it was. I was especially entertained by the performance of the one who saved the head of the Asian family. Such quick reflexes.”

Cary knew who Crowley was talking about. It was hard not to since he had been in the middle of the crowd when it happened. He had been attending to Crowley playing a right hand man when the arrow came flying through the air. He watched as she gave that war cry of hers and flipped forward to land on the table and caught the thing with her bare hand and without looking.

Cary knew she was good but that was something he had never seen before. What he had seen her do was mostly coming at him and she used the direct approach. After that though, Crowley sent him to wander the grounds to search for the hit man and any other signs of possible interference.

Crowley had turned to look out at the landscape and take another sip of the brandy. Probably by the time this was over, he was going to end up draining the kid’s stock dry. No matter though. He would have what he needed; another piece of the puzzle to the woman who wanted to see him but made it like she didn’t want to. He asked, “So what have you found while you slunk the halls like the little rat you are?”

Cary gulped slightly. He truly was an enigma in the demon world. He could be just as mean and ‘fun’ as the others but in the presence of his betters like Crowley, he pretty much had a yellow spine. He was the ultimate bitch. He replied, “The hit man killed himself before the sailor got to him.”

“So Jason is here then? That makes it all the more interesting.”

“She doesn’t have eyes for him. Not like that.”

“I know that you idiot,” Crowley retorted as he turned to face Cary. “She admires his qualities but not him. She is a friend to him and nothing more. Tell me you have something better than that?”

Cary sighed. Most of what he found out Crowley probably already knew. He probably just liked to make him squirm when he presented his information. “Well there are guards set around the quarters of the heads of the families. Good ones and probably other things like traps and such. The corridors are pretty much empty.”

Crowley thought about it. “Probably the boy Hakim has other means of keeping an eye on things. It would be in his nature to make sure that the heads of the families are secure. He knows the consequences should something happen.”

“Aren’t we going to do something to the heads?”

“Don’t be an idiot. It is bad for business.” Crowley looked at Cary who was looking at him slightly confused under all that fear. “You see Cary no one is completely good or evil. There is always a point in which the good side has to put a toe over the line and make a deal with the devil so to speak. Nothing more than an alliance of convenience but even they know that there are times when you have to make a choice that questions everything one believes in. She knows that. Hell she knew it the moment she found you and demanded you tell her how to find me.”

Cary straightened up from his stopped position. He could see a little what Crowley meant. He had made a few deals with a few of those meat suit hunters. They relied on him more than they would ever admit to when they dealt in the things he dealt with. And he was nicer with his deals. He didn’t demand souls or anything like that. “Then why are you here?”

“Have you ever heard the phrase, know thy enemy? Or rather keep your friends close but your enemies closer?”

“Yes boss.”

“I can see that you aren’t as worthless as others have claimed you to be,” Crowley replied with a smile. “You have your uses even if you have to become someone’s lapdog.” He put the glass of brandy down on the desk in the room. He picked up the piping that he had been looking at ever since he acquired it. He looked at it in an appraising manner. “Now the whole thing about keeping friends close but enemies closer…”

“You intend to find out more about her. Perhaps maybe get enough information so that…”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself Cary. Of course I want to know about her. All I have ever heard of her is the legend of Absolution or by what they call her the warrior princess. They tell me nothing about what she is; who she is,” Crowley replied as he ran his hand up and down the piping. “I do know that she is very clever.”

Cary thought he understood what Crowley wanted. He replied, “She does have a past.”

“Of course she does. Who doesn’t?” Crowley glared at Cary. “Don’t be an idiot. I have plenty working deals.”

Cary gulped slightly and explained, “What I mean is that she knows things and people and some of them she wishes weren’t here.” At least he had something that he happened to stumble upon during his late night wanderings.

“I sense that you stumbled across something Cary. You better tell the whole story and don’t try to weasel out a better deal for yourself. You are mine and do what I say. What you do in your minor dealings is your business as long as they follow the rules.”

Cary wasn’t even going to try for a better position within the ranks. Truth be told he liked what his job was. He knew he was a coward and he was happy about it. At least that was what he wanted people to see. He hated the fact that Crowley always seemed to know what he was up to but proceeded to humiliate it out of him anyway. At least he had something for once that the boss didn’t know. That alone could put him in a better light. He replied, “Wasn’t considering such a thing but I did happen to chance upon something that could add to your formulation of her.”

“Go on.”

“Well I happened to see her wandering the halls. She was looking for someone.”

“That would be Sam or Dean. She is worse than the hell bitch she set to guard the house. My best man got a nasty bite just trying to get close enough to observe them. Continue.”

“Well whoever she was looking for, she didn’t find. Rather someone found her and she wasn’t very happy to see him. In fact I think she could smell him before he made himself known. Anyway he found her and tried to have his way with her. She didn’t like it at all.”

Crowley listened with interest. This wasn’t the first time he heard stories of impetuous men trying to have their way with her. He figured that her physical beauty ensnared them and her charm had them under a spell. Some called it charisma. He had seen her and she was beautiful. He had never seen any of her kind like her.

Cary took the silence as a means to continue. “The guy started sniffing her and she stiffened when he came to her neck. Then this really tall guy comes out and tells him to leave her alone. The guy holding her said to back off and even had a knife on her. No matter since the tall guy got an opening when she gave it to him.”

“Who was the tall guy?

“Called himself Sam. The other one had an animal growl at one point…”

Crowley didn’t hear anymore. So that little punk was still trying to do what he wanted to do since he decided he was big enough to wear britches? “Lykos you little shit.”

Cary stopped his story for a moment to look at his boss. He watched as the boss downed his brandy and poured himself another glass. It was clear that the boss was agitated. He hurried to finish what he saw, “She took care of it. The moment she saw the guy trying to knife the tall guy, she got pissed. Seriously pissed. She tossed the guy into the wall, pinned him and said something to him before sending him into the wall and some pottery. I had never seen anything like it.”

Crowley heard everything. It was an interesting tidbit. The stories he had heard didn’t mention what Cary was babbling about. So the little soldier of Absolution has a bit of power behind her? That was very interesting indeed. “So she has power behind her punch then? And it is not minor like others of her kind. This is very interesting indeed. Lykos is still a little shit but it may point in the direction who is trying to sabotage this party. Can’t let it happen now that this fell into my lap. Go and keep an eye on Lykos. Stop him from doing anything foolish the next two days.”

Cary thought his orders were strange but he would obey. “Yes boss.”

When Cary left, Crowley went back to looking over the landscape holding the piping. There was no way he was going to let this tournament go to shits. He aimed to see her and what she could do at the main exhibition and what she had taught her pupil.


	8. Chapter 8

Even when his physical well-being was on the line, which was pretty much the job of a hunter, Sam was up early. He could hear Bobby snoring away on the bed he had claimed and glancing over, Dean’s was empty. No doubt he decided to stay with Haley the entire night. Well he might see him at breakfast or something. Right now he had to see if Angela was okay.

He was quiet about getting dressed which was rather unnecessary. Bobby had decided to let himself sleep and went into a deep sleep. Nothing short of maybe Cerebus jumping on him and drooling on him would wake him. Still Sam took pains to get out of their room without a sound. Once in the parlor, he could breathe easy. There really was nobody there.

Sam looked around and then at the door to Angela’s room. He was tempted to go and knock but he wasn’t sure if he should.  He had no problems approaching her though Dean seemed to get the short end of the stick when it came to waking her or startling her out of a daydream. Then again she might still be upset about the night before and the whole thing. He was in debate on what to do when he turned towards the veranda or balcony and his question of what to do was solved.

Angela was sitting on the rail as she would on the Impala with her legs crossed and wearing a robe that hung like a silk drape. To her left she had a tray balanced perfectly with hot tea with a couple of biscuits. She was sipping her tea from the cup she held in her hands and staring at the changing light. They were on the north side of the building but the colors were the same anyway.

Sam gave a slight shake of his head, a small smile on his face. No matter what she was always up with the sun or even before the sun depending on the mood. He walked towards where she was sitting and noticed that the railing was just wide enough for her to sit. He couldn’t help it, “Show off.”

“I could say the same with your brains,” Angela replied with a smile creeping into her features. “I see you decided to not to wait for the morning song of the day.” She knew that Dean preferred her version of a wake up call rather than that nice interlude to Beethoven’s Fifth. She knew that Sam liked hearing it too though he was at that point of just responding with a good morning and not saying that he liked it.

“Well I don’t know if Bobby likes being woken up that early…” Sam cut himself off when he realized that Angela wasn’t buying it, judging from the way she was looking at him. He started again, “Well… I was thinking that maybe… you might want to talk about Lykos since he’ll be around today.”

Angela took a sip of her tea as she looked at Sam. To some it would be an uncomfortable position since she was sitting forward and twisting to look at him. She knew he was concerned and truth be told, she liked it and was uncomfortable with it since very few people were ever concerned about anything that happened to her.  She smiled and replied, “Lykos I can kick his ass anytime. He just made me angry. That is what I remember after shaking off that backhand. I was very angry. Kind of like at the cemetery with Ellen but it was white hot rage. Then I burnt out and next thing I know you and Bobby are talking. It was a lot to take in considering I was worried that Henrickson may have spotted you or Dean.”

Sam shrugged sheepishly, “Sorry about that. I was just trying to help since all the attention was on you and what you did to catch that arrow.” He didn’t say anything about the rage part. He had seen her angry but it was that calm, cool deliberateness and that was when they emptied their guns into Jake. Thing was he didn’t quite understand why she aided in killing Jake like that but now he figured that it was because of what he had tried to do with Ellen. “So I take it that wasn’t for show.”

“Nope and I hate having to ask Dean or Bobby but I think a bit of sneaking around is in order. My feeling is that it is one of the other heads of the families or one of the ones that invested heavily into it like a sponsor would. I can’t do anything because people know me and you are being tossed into the ring.” Angela stopped talking in order to pour a second cup of tea. She stared at the pot and let her mind go through the motions. When the cup was filled, she sent it towards Sam and suspended it for him so he could take it.

“You’ve been practicing,” Sam commented as he reached for the cup floating in the air in front of him. He knew that of course but he had seen her use it in rapid fashion. He knew because she had used her talent to pummel him and Dean with tennis balls in a training exercise. He held the cup and took a sip and made a slight face at the taste.

“Sorry. It’s not coffee.”

“I know that. I just didn’t expect it.” Sam didn’t mind the tea… just as long as Dean wasn’t around to witness it. That was just one more thing his brother teased him being a girl about. “How do you feel about people gawking at you?” He had no idea why he asked that but it was brought on by his thoughts about the night before and how people reacted around her.

“I take it like it is. I grew used to the fact that I am always going to get lecher looks from men, jealous glares from women and starry eyed looks of wonderment from younglings who have heard nothing but heroic tales about me. People follow me to battle or whatever mess I lead them into and they thank me later for saving the day.” Angela shrugged her shoulders.

“You’re good with people.”

“Flatterer.”

“Honesty.”

Angela chuckled, “Alright, this time you win Sam. Now I don’t feel so bad about the exhibition.” She looked at Sam and asked, “How do you feel about this? I pretty much threw you in when I was trying to keep you out.”

“Nervous. I know you tried to show me how to read how these guys move but I get the feeling that they’re not going to go easy.”

Angela studied Sam’s profile. He was nervous. He was fighting for something that he wasn’t sure about and it had nothing to do with ganking monsters or spirits or any other thing that practically was all gathered here to fight. “I don’t know if this will mean anything but someone once told me that a person, or rather a warrior, is measured by the quality of his opponent. Many of these warriors are worthy and the even though they may be enemies to each other, they respect one another whether it is courage, skill or even honor, the kind where one spares an enemy rather than kill him.”

“Maybe you should be the one fighting,” Sam replied without malice or sarcasm. He meant it. He thought that Angela would be the best one to be fighting since she was like that last quality.

“I wouldn’t though simply because of past events. It’s different now since Hakim understands the purpose. I taught him when he was a boy. His father and I were friends,” Angela replied.

“You seem to make friends no matter where you go.”

“Not always but thanks for the observation.” Angela chuckled as she finished her cup. She put it back down on the tray. “So do you need any last minute advice?”

“You have any to give?” Sam countered with a smile. He still was nervous but he felt a little better about the whole thing. He knew she had his back.

Angela pretended to think about it. She knew Sam didn’t need any advice. She had taught him what he needed to know as well as John and Dean when he was growing up. He could do it. It just required focus. In a light hearted tone, she replied, “Nope. Nothing comes to mind. You’ll do fine.”

Sam looked at her. He knew she wouldn’t give anything because she believed he would be okay. It was a first in a way because she didn’t treat him like he was still a little kid. She did have a tendency to be like Dean and try to protect him from everything but it was like lately she was letting up on that except with a few things. She was willing to let him try and if he fell just told him to get back on the horse. “Thanks.”

Angela replied, “Honest truth.”

“I know.”

Angela sighed as she looked at the sky. It was lighter now and it looked to be a promising day. She glanced to gauge the position of the sun and figured that there were a couple of hours before they had to show up for breakfast. She glanced at her lap and then at Sam who was finishing his tea. “I have something for you.”

Sam put down the cup on the rail and looked at the cloth covered package she was holding out to him. She hadn’t moved from her position and it amazed him how flexible she could be. She said it was jujitsu training but he suspected it was something else besides that; like gymnast training. Knowing that she was waiting, he took the package out of her hands and undid the silk ties. He looked at her and asked, “Still into cloth wrapping?”

“Old habits.”

“But you’re Italian.”

“I lived in China and Japan for a few decades. Where do you think I learned what I taught you? Besides it looks nicer than that icky brown paper.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed she had a bit of almost every culture around the world and that wasn’t counting the fact that she could speak several world languages, plus a few dialects. Her accent was flawless except when she was agitated and then she would mutter in her first language. Sam remembered her cursing after meeting Bela for the first time. He had no idea what she said and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know. He looked down and undid the wrapping. It was nice he had to admit but it was nothing compared to what it was covering. He looked at Angela with a slight look and back down at what was in his hands.

He ran his hands on the material and his fingers found the embroidery work. He didn’t take it out but he could tell it was a shirt of some kind. Finally his fingers picked it up and let it unfold. He looked at it fully, studying it.

It was like those Chinese tunics but done in a manner like a button down shirt. It was black with gold brown embroidery work. The cuffs and the collar had the embroidery designed in a scroll like pattern. It was made to fit in like any shirt a guy would wear but it was made to be distinctive. Sam examined the embroidery work. He had seen nothing like it before.

“The scroll work is actually sigils, really old sigils from ancient times. They are given to warriors who, for lack of a better term, have proven themselves worthy of honor.”

Sam had been examining it as Angela spoke. He had no idea what they meant but he could hear the knowledge behind the tone of voice she was using. He then looked at her, “You think I’m worthy of honor?”

“I do but the question is whether or not you think so. When they are given, they are meant for the warrior to find and understand what it means.” Angela touched the stitching gently. “The only way for it to mean anything is the personal touch.”

It finally dawned on Sam that she had made it. “You made this didn’t you?”

“I had time and I figured that you might as well have something to represent.” Angela shrugged. She then stretched and turned around to get off the banister. In so doing, the robe end fell to reveal her finely muscled and tanned leg as she stepped down. She hadn’t even noticed that she had two pairs of eyes that saw the whole thing as she picked up the tray and the cups to put them back on inside. She paused to say, “You better get dressed.”

There was a knock at the door and Angela put the tray down on a table inside the parlor and walked past Dean who managed to sneak in while she and Sam were talking to open it. Standing outside the door was a messenger holding an envelope made of rice paper. He asked, “Absolution?”

Angela made a slight tick with her tongue as she nodded and accepted the envelope. The messenger was gone before she could thank him. She frowned as she peered around the corner before closing the door. It was only then that she opened the envelope and began reading the letter. “Oh well this is something.”

Dean was the first to speak once he processed what he had seen. “What’s up Angie?”

“Yi Xiang invited us to breakfast.”

****

“Well I wasn’t expecting this to be a vacation,” Bobby grumbled as the group made their way down the hall.

“Well you didn’t have to say yes, Bobby,” Dean replied.

“I was being polite and the way I see it Angie and Sam can’t do anything about it. All eyes will be on them during this whole thing.”

“’Them’ are here listening old man,” Angela said with a teasing grin.

Yi Xiang had invited them all over to breakfast mostly to thank Angela for saving her but also to ask for help. She was supported by Lwazi who was there with Haley. Both suspected that the incident was planned by someone who stood to lose much if the heads decided to follow Hakim’s lead in hosting the tournament in their respected regions.

It was Bobby who realized that while Angela was probably the best at stealth since she got the on up on all three of them at some point without even trying, she was going to be watched carefully. It wasn’t for any security reasons or anything like that. It was simply because he saw that she was a famous person made even more so by what she did the night before. He suggested that he and Dean could look behind the scenes and see what was going on.

Angela had offered to look around at night but Sam made a noise that sounded like a cough. She knew what he was getting at and managed to say something along the lines that if it had to come to that. In the end Yi Xiang said that it was up to Bobby to decide what to do and offered any support they would need.

When the time was observed, Bobby shooed Sam and Angela out after Dean muttered something to Sam about finally finding a shirt that fit his tall frame. So now they were all walking down to observe the opening speech and to begin the first matches when Angela made her comment. Bobby replied, “Don’t sass me girl. Just because you look like Sam’s age doesn’t mean that I won’t hand yer ass to ya.”

“And I wait for that day,” Angela replied in a good mood. She glanced at Sam who gave a slight smile and Dean was trying hard not to laugh. Deciding to have fun, she grabbed the grizzled hunter and gave a bear hug and a kiss to the cheek. She released him and challenged, “Try topping that one Bobby.”

Bobby grumbled. He tried struggling to get her to let go of him but it was futile and it was half-hearted anyway. He replied, “You’ll get yours and when you least expect it.”

Angela laughed, “You can try but these two know how hard it is.” She made a slight gesture to indicate Sam and Dean who knew full well how hard it was to get her with a prank. They did work out a few things though and managed on a couple of occasions to get her when she least expected it. She had called it their finest moment.

“My, wasn’t that a sweet little display? So your affections have switched to wrinkled old humans now my sweet?”

They were in a junction with other warriors gathered and trying to filter to the right direction. Not all were competing but many did come to watch. There was a nice sizable little group there but it wasn’t hard for Angela to know who was talking. She turned to face Lykos who was looking a little beat up but the injuries were fading. She replied, “At least I know he isn’t a slime like you.”

“Hurling insults now? You plan on starting a fight before everything? Even you know that is against the rules,” Lykos replied taunting her. He would love to get into a fight. Mostly he wanted to beat up her little human pet and make sure that she knew that she could never be rid of him.

“Even I am not so stupid as to do that Lykos. Though you always did manage to find a loophole to keep yourself out of trouble,” Angela replied. Normally she would have reached and placed her hand on the hilt of Absolution but it wasn’t at her hip like it would be. Instead she adopted the manner of wearing in on her back. It worked well with the outfit she had chosen to wear.

Most people thought that billowing or flowing sleeves just set you up for disaster but it was all she had that was presentable as a trainer and a warrior. She could have worn what she intended to wear at the exhibition but something inside her mind had her decide against it. So her top was silky like Sam’s except it looked like she was wearing a vest over a shirt. Dean mentioned something about it looking like Jedi robes even though it was just the top. It was strapped at the waist with a silk sash or obi. The color was black with silver embroidery.

Sam asked her if she made it and she told him that someone else did which was the truth. Her pants were the regular slacks she wore on occasion and those dress boots women wore. Dean told her she looked like a modern Jedi warrior and she said that he looked like a rustic. That led to another one of their verbal exchanges that ended up with Dean winning for once since Bobby told them to shut up. At least she looked the part.

Lykos looked at Angela. As always she looked magnificent. He smiled and replied, “I always know my loopholes. The question is whether or not you do. There are rumors flying around that you have stooped so low as to work with demons and maybe turn a deal.”

Angela felt her temper rise. She ground her teeth trying to prevent her eye teeth from showing themselves. That could be taken as a sign to fight. Suddenly she smiled sweetly and her voice took a dangerous tone, “In the line of work I do it pays to know your enemy and keep them close. I can’t say the same for you since you’ve taken it upon yourself to prove that there is no honor amongst people like you.”

“Be careful my sweet. You know as well as I how certain conditions cause a trigger to occur. You wouldn’t want it taken out against your pets now would you?” He smiled just like she did and replied in an equally dangerous tone. He eyed the Winchesters, especially Sam with interest even though the boy was glaring daggers at him. The shorter one looked ready to pick a fight.

“Lykos.”

Lykos turned and saw his brother advance. Great the gentle giant decided to make an appearance. He said, “What do you want Lycan?”

Lycan was tall and muscular like the Winchesters. It was easy to see the gentle nature in his dark brown eyes and his messy mop of dark hair but it could also be seen as a deception. Though typically gentle, he could turn into a fearsome fighter and often went in for the kill especially if he thought someone close to him was suffering. He was loyal to his brother and tried constantly to change his ways but he was at the point of accepting that his brother was who he was and regretted that they had drifted apart over the years especially after the incident that led to Angela leaving his homeland.

He had spotted her with her friends and was going to see her but had been waylaid by a few friends. The next time he looked, he saw his brother was there and trying to pick a fight. He had to put a stop to it. He looked at his brother and said, “No fighting. This is neutral ground. The only fights are allowed inside the ring.”

Lykos rolled his eyes. Lycan was always spoiling everything. He replied, “I was just having a bit of fun. You know I like to have fun testing the new ones. It makes it so much fun when they actually get their asses beat.”

Lycan said nothing but gave a look. It was enough to have Lykos huff and walk away. It was only after his brother left that Lycan sighed and looked at Angela, “I apologize though I really have no need to. Lykos’ actions are his own.”

Angela had calmed down when Lycan stepped in and was able to reply, “I see that you’ve accepted that.”

“But I still won’t raise a hand against him. He is my brother.”

“Don’t ever change Lycan.” Angela smiled at her old friend.

Lycan looked at Angela’s companions. The older one and the shorter of the two younger ones looked like they were ready to tear his brother’s lungs out. He wouldn’t blame them sine Lykos goaded her and from the looks of things, they knew her and cared. The taller one was different. The anger was there but more controlled and he flanked her like he would have done when they almost got into trouble in those days. He said, “And yet some change is good. I am for one glad to see that you will be helping that.”

“Seems like everyone is a gossip,” Angela replied, “Lycan I want you to meet Bobby, Dean and this is Sam.”

Lycan offered his hand to each of the hunters and they responded in kind. Bobby and Sam were a bit more receptive. Dean was polite but he was reserving judgment. He did manage to say, “Now I know someone switched bassinets at birth with you Sam. Here is your twin.”

Lycan laughed at the joke. It was true that he and Sam were of similar height and wore a similar look to their hair. It was funny to him and he reassured Sam that it was okay and that he often thought Lykos was born on a different planet. It was enough to break the ice for Lycan to ask Sam, “So you will be competing? Angie is a very good teacher but I suspect that she may have taught you a few things that she refused to teach me.”

“Angie taught my brother and I both enough,” Sam replied. He wasn’t sure about Lycan but he could see the vast difference between him and Lykos. He could understand why Lykos referred to his brother as a gentle giant. They really could have passed for brothers.

“A good response,” Lycan replied. “I see her usual telling but not revealing tactics have rubbed off on you.”

“You know my reasoning for that,” Angela replied. She looked in the direction of the main hall. She could hear and see the crowds moving. “Now I suggest we head to our respective places.” She looked at Dean and Bobby who nodded. She started to go but waited when she saw that Sam paused slightly.

Sam paused. This was it now. They could have turned and run and yet he didn’t. Sighing he joined Angela and was followed by Lycan. He asked, “You are competing?”

“Yes if only to keep an eye on my brother. If you don’t mind, I will walk with you until we get to the floor.” When Sam hesitated, Lycan explained, “Crowd control.”

“I understand that.”


	9. Chapter 9

“I thought you said that you had been in one of these before.”

“I did.”

“Then why are you reading the rule book right now?”

“It was a matter of life or death; not for points or whatever.”

Sam couldn’t help but give an annoyed eye roll at Angela. Yet he couldn’t be mad at her. She had told the truth about this but had been skimpy on details. He then remembered the origins of the tournament from reading her books she lent him and Dean. “Sorry.”

“It’s all right, Sam. One of the few moments that I would rather forget,” Angela replied giving a slight smile. “That form is rarely used anymore. The new buzzword on ancestral lands is diplomacy.” Angela gave a humorless chuckle as she led the way to where they were supposed to be.

“Don’t be too harsh a judge.”

Sam looked at Lycan who was still following. It was weird that he was still following them but then again he could be going in the same direction. He replied, “What?”

Lycan looked at Sam. He had no idea how much Angela had told him but he had heard the exchange between them. He replied, “She has good reason not to speak of that life and death match. On the one side it prevented war between two factions and on the other, blood was spilt by her hand even after she offered peaceable surrender.”

Sam listened and watched as Angela spoke to one of the officials. That sounded like her. She would offer surrender before resorting to outright killing. She offered Jake and Ava a second chance and then followed through when they refused. It also spoke of the lengths she would go in order to fight for what she believed in. Sam also had a thought just listening to Lycan and the tone of his voice. He asked, “You were there weren’t you?”

Lycan thought Sam to be very smart. He hadn’t said a word and yet he made a connection. He replied, “She fought for our family against another who had been trying to take ancestral family lands by force. She was our champion for me and for that I owe her much.”

“Alright. Sam you’re up,” Angela said as she came back. She guided Sam to the ring and went over last minute rules and the like. She could feel his nervousness as she held onto his arm. She paused and leaned over to whisper, “Just remember to keep your focus. The rest will follow… just like Lenya’s little maze.”

Sam didn’t need to be reminded of that whole experience but Angela had a point. He did recall what she had been teaching him and Dean at that time. It could work again. He was about to say something when Angela did a strange gesture by running her two first fingers down his forehead and muttered something. She then said, “For luck.”

“Thanks,” Sam replied and turned to walk to where he was to go. He didn’t expect that from her and had no idea what that gesture meant but he was willing to take her on her word. He wondered if it was also her way of getting back at him for the surprise kiss back in Brazil. Or it could be one of those impulsive things she did.

Sam turned his focus to the guy waiting for him. He found his wrist grasped in a firm grip and then they were facing each other. The next thing he knew his opponent was coming at him at a speed that was comparable to Angela and maybe just a tad faster. Sam’s first reaction was to run and he did just to avoid the blows coming. He didn’t run out of the ring though.

Angela watched from the sidelines. She could hear laughter at Sam’s reaction. She could understand his choice though. Practice is one thing but doing it for real was something else. She looked at the others laughing and heard, “That one Absolution trained? More like a scared chicken.”

More laughter followed and Angela turned her attention back to the bout. She had confidence in Sam’s abilities. He just needed to focus. She narrowed her eyes and watched the scene. She didn’t bat an eye when Sam started focusing and blocked and countered. She didn’t even acknowledge when the crowds started turn around on his performance except for maybe a small smile starting to form.

****

Sam had been doing the first thing that came to mind and the first lesson she taught him and that was to run away. He had been dodging the attacks and was fairly good at it. He could hear the laughter from his running. He was sure at least his ears were turning red from embarrassment.

_Running is good but using it against your opponent is better._

Sam almost paused but didn’t stop moving. It was startling to hear her in his mind again. The last time was at Cold Oak. He didn’t have his abilities from Azazel so he knew that it was her. It was reassuring to hear her in his mind.

_Focus and the rest follows._

Sam knew he had to stop running. For some reason he felt that he was embarrassing her but she didn’t seem that way after giving a quick glance in her direction.  He turned around and faced his opponent who was laughing at him too. The guy was getting ready to come at him again but it was obvious he was expecting him to run again.

Sam concentrated and muttered to himself that this was like any other fight. The guy made a charge in an attempt to strike with his hands. Sam stood ready and let the guy come at him. Some of the others started jeering about the scared giant finally turning around and fighting but he ignored them. The guy came straight at him and at the last moment, he blocked and countered with an open palm strike.

The blow sent his opponent flying backwards and landing on his back. The jeering stopped as soon as Sam made his strike. His opponent wasn’t finished though. He was stunned but not finished. In fact the guy was on his feet in a flip and he had backed into a stance. He said, “So the scared giant has bite has he?”

Sam didn’t say anything. If there was one thing he learned from Angela was that you never wasted words on insults… unless you knew how to win that contest. Sam knew that he was good but she was better. He still had his own facial expressions and gave an annoyed version of the bitch face. He stood there in a similar stance Angela would do when she didn’t hold up her fists.

His opponent grinned, “Not much of a talker, are you? Well, let’s see you talk with this.”  He then led off with an attack pattern of a series of punches and swings along with a few kicks.

Sam blocked the ones he could tell would be the more painful ones. The less detrimental he used body blocks. After being tossed around by angry spirits, poltergeists and every type of creature you could think of, he knew how to take a hit. The more painful hits he learned to take from Angela. Though she never tried to seriously hurt either him or Dean, she didn’t go easy on them. She punched and kicked until they learned what she wanted them to learn.

Sam’s chance to counter came and his opponent followed through with a punch. Sam dodged the blow aimed for his face and grabbed the offending arm and in the same way he did on his last fight with Angela, he wrapped his arm up and around and flipped his opponent on his back and delivered a kick to the chest while still holding onto the arm. He got a kick to his arm that was intended for his shoulder.

It was enough to make Sam let go but he didn’t back off. His opponent was barely up off the ground but it was enough to deliver a kick at Sam’s thigh. The opponent was on his feet but Sam was ready and countered with blocks until he got into position to grab his opponent and deliver a kick and his opponent was down on the ground and he didn’t get up.

Sam stood where he was and looked at his downed opponent. It took a full minute for it to dawn on him that he had won. His opponent was moaning on the ground. Relaxing just a little, Sam walked over and offered a hand. His opponent looked up at him and then grasped his hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Sam said, “Nice talk.”

His opponent couldn’t help but grin and he replied, “Good talk.” He gripped Sam’s wrist in the warrior grasp and let go to head where eliminated combatants went.

Sam was directed back to where Angela was waiting. He saw the slight smirk she gave. It was the same expression she wore when they ended their last fight in a draw. When he reached her she said, “Good job.”

Sam stood beside her and managed to whisper, “Thanks to your pep talk.”

Angela glanced at Sam with a wry smile and then faced the ring, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Funny how memories pop up at convenient moments,” Sam replied.

“The mind is a wonderful thing.” Angela crossed her arms to observe the next set of combatants. “The power to do things is astounding.”

Sam gave a slight chuckle. He knew she would never admit it directly but she did just tell him that she had been talking in his head. Dean described his experience as a slight tickle in his brain. To him it was perfectly natural and he figured that it was because she had already talked to him before. Maybe it got easier every time. It was something to explore later and he replied, “Having confidence is enough.”

****

Haley had been watching from a nondescript area where it was easy to slip away. She could have easily sat with her grandfather in the special box for the heads of the families but she wanted to be able to give a hand to Dean and Bobby if they needed it. People didn’t really know her since she hadn’t been with her father’s people in years and she spoke with a slight English accent. There was no hint of the land of Africa in her voice but it was in her spirit. She was a witch doctor’s daughter after all.

She was nervous for Sam and she saw Dean scowling in the stands when everyone laughed at Sam running away. Even though she was far away she could see that he didn’t like it when people made fun of his little brother. If it hadn’t been for Bobby then Dean would probably be starting fistfights and getting himself thrown out and that wouldn’t have done anybody any good.

At least the crowd turned around when Sam stopped running and started fighting. It was a complete turnaround. Haley glanced to where Angela was watching from her spot on the sidelines and she saw that the woman was standing firm. She was the only one down there that didn’t laugh and it looked like she was in deep concentration.

The use of special abilities wasn’t forbidden. In fact they were considered a part of the warrior’s repertoire. However it was different if a trainer used an offensive ability to aid their student. There were fine lines but no one ever considered telepathic abilities. Haley knew that Angela would have read the rule book front and backwards and would have every regulation down by heart. Haley knew about the thing in Greece ten or so years ago.

Once Sam started gaining his confidence Haley turned her attention to scanning the crowds. One eye was always on the heads and the other was on possible points of ambush and other types of sabotage. Her eyes lighted on a corner that was perfect for an aerial attack like what happened at the reception the night before. She thought she spotted movement and began moving while trying to keep a discreet exit.

The cheers of the crowd were dull as she slipped into the hallways. With everyone’s attention focused on the ring, it would be the perfect time to strike. Haley was no warrior or hunter but a witch and she knew that stealth wasn’t her greatest skill and she had barely started getting back into her witch mojo. She had been practicing though since she decided to put a good spin on witches. She did a few tricks with Dean the night before…

Haley focused as she tried to remember the layout from the map that her grandfather kept that had been passed down since the beginning. The area she was looking at had a good view of not only where the heads were seated but of the ring. It then occurred to her where the location was and she took off running silently down the corridors.

One thing she was good at was running. It was part of the hunting training she had received growing up. She was one of the fastest and swiftest runners of her tribe and had learned to run quietly. She gained to the area she was searching for quickly. It was a small access way that was used by the ones who strung the banners up and the like. It was very isolated.

Finding the door to the area, she hesitated. She summoned her power to be ready to use and opened the door. It was dark into there so she moved slowly into the room. It was then she spotted the person she saw from her seat. She started forward, not sure of what she was going to do.

“You’re very good for a witch.”

Haley paused. She wasn’t sure what to do and went with her first reaction, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The one watching turned to face her. Haley could make out hazel eyes and light brown hair and a face that was charming and yet had a smirk that gave a sense that he was up to something. He was dressed like a hunter would be giving the distinct impression that he wished to be anonymous. He had an expression that was mischievous and yet he looked a little sad but it was very faint. He looked at Haley and replied, “Now Deano would try that trick but with you… you need to work on it.”

“I still can do a thing or two,” Haley replied and proved it by harnessing the energy in her hand.

“That I have no doubt. You wouldn’t have been picked to be the guardian of a piece of the seal now would ya?”

Haley narrowed her eyes at the stranger. “You seem to know a lot about my people but I’ve never seen you before in my life. What are you doing here? Do you aim to sabotage the tournament?”

The stranger looked up at the ceiling for a moment as if to think about things. He went full on into the snarky attitude he used with everyone in general. “I know things that are older than even you and frankly that sucks. As to your interrogation, I am just here to watch and it just happened to be a coincidence that two of my favorite numbskulls happen to be here.”

“Then what are you doing up here? If you want to watch, the crowd’s out there,” Haley replied gesturing with her head. She hadn’t let her guard down since she still wasn’t sure about this stranger. She would evaluate and try not to get into trouble. If she did, Aaron would have her head since she didn’t have proper backup.

“I should be asking you that question since you are never anywhere without your bodyguard,” came the retort.

“I could just as easily sound the alarm.”

“But you won’t do that.”

Haley stood defiant and replied, “How do you know I won’t?”

The stranger looked at Haley with a piercing gaze before relenting. He turned to watch the current fight and said, “Because you know that it could lead to all-out war if it gets too far and I seriously doubt that you want that.”

Haley relented a little, “You’re right I don’t want that. Yet there are plenty who don’t want this plan to succeed.”

“Exactly which is why I knew she would be here,” the stranger replied.

Haley wasn’t sure of what to make of that response. She had no idea who the stranger was referring to and decided to see what he was staring at. She edged her way closer towards the window, staying in the curtains. She wasn’t afraid of being seen since most of the attention was focused on the ring and the added bonus were the thick curtains hanging up.

She made it without arousing the stranger to attack. In fact he seemed bent on just watching everything. She peered at what he was looking at. She had to glance between him and the scene below to find out what held his interest. The result actually surprised her to some degree but on another level she saw it as what she had seen Rose go through.

The stranger wasn’t completely interested in the fights. He was interested in one person. Haley could visibly see his gaze follow Angela as she spoke with the other combatants to congratulate them or to point out something to Sam. It was strange to Haley and the word stalker came to mind but something told her that it was different. She had to clarify though, “You know her?” She pointed slightly at Angela. She wasn’t going to give away names especially if he happened to be a stalker and out to try and gain attention from Angela.

The strange seemed to know what Haley was doing and gave a smirk, “We go back a long way. Back to when she first trained for the job.”

Haley felt her eyes widen slightly in surprise. She replied, “You a witch?”

The stranger couldn’t help but laugh. “Not a snowball’s chance sister. Nope I am something different and believe me it is something way different.”

Haley tried not to be miffed at her ignorance but there was a variety of individuals with just as lengthy lifespans as vampires and Halflings. She could tick down the list but she got the feeling that if she went that route, the stranger was going to make a snarky remark, crack a joke or just plain insult her on poor process of elimination. She glanced down as she watched another pair of warriors prepare and then back at the stranger. She should just ask him straight though he would probably find a way to annoy her with that choice too.

“Go ahead and ask though I am sure that you are going to convince yourself that I am lying when I tell ya the truth.”

Haley looked at the stranger square in the eye and stood firm and replied, “Alright. Who or better yet, what are you?”

The stranger gave a nod of approval at Haley. He liked the choice in friends and liked the witch in particular. She was spunky and would make a good witch once she got back on the horse so to speak. He replied, “Well to make things simple: the name is Gabriel. You may have heard of me since I appear in one of the most popular books in the western world.”

Haley couldn’t tell if the guy Gabriel was being serious or not. He was written about in a book? Maybe in one of the books of lore used by hunters but then again he said it was the most popular book. There was only one book that had that much popularity. Almost every household had one… at least the ones who believed. She put the pieces of the puzzle together and she replied, “You? You are the Messenger?”

“Don’t advertise it. I’m trying to keep a low profile,” Gabriel replied motioning for Haley to keep her voice down.

“Okay fine,” Haley replied lowering her voice. “So you are here to watch Absolution when she’s not even competing? Why would an archangel be so interested in mortal perception of combat?”

Gabriel wondered where that came from but he had a pretty good idea why the witch asked it. He wasn’t going to give the whole truth since that was his business. He replied, “I know Absolution because we once fought together.”

“An honest answer and one leas t expected.”

“I see the witch loves rambling like her family does,” Gabriel retorted. “Daddy still giving you a riddle to solve every now and then?”

Haley knew the dig at her family was an attempt to divert the conversation. “He always gives his advice. A parent does that but you still haven’t answered the question why you are here to watch Absolution.”

“Like I said we fought together once. Besides I was bored and decided to seek entertainment. That and there is a plot to wage a war and they want to use the tournament to do it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Walls have ears and it’s no secret that Hakim was the instigator of returning to tradition. Lwazi and Yi Xiang are staunch supporters and prime targets if no one is watching. But I assume that is why you are here as well as Deano and company though I don’t expect much from Sammy.”

The familiarity in which Gabriel used Sam and Dean’s names had Haley ask, “And how do you know the Winchesters?”

“Oh a little fun regarding just desserts,” Gabriel replied in his implying manner. It was one that told but never revealed. It took a real expert to see beyond the bull to get him to tell anything with a straight answer.

“I see. And why not warn the heads? Or at least find out who is doing this?”

“Can’t do it. Besides this place being neutral territory there is sort of an understanding between me and my favorite girl. Also there is the fact that I don’t get involved.”

“Then why are you here if not to tell Absolution?”

“Maybe I was waiting for a numbskull like you to find me,” Gabriel replied being deliberately insulting. “Besides most anyone with a brain knows how precarious the situation is. Even if it were to come from a famous warrior, the question of validity comes into play and frankly I hate that kind of game.”

Haley thought about it for a moment. If the angel refused to help by telling Angela what was going on then maybe she could be a relay person in that regard. She could ask the angel to give help and in turn feed it to Angela. She replied, “Well why not a different kind of game? You tell me and help me and in turn…”

“You relay it to Absolution and she does whatever she does, right?” Gabriel looked at Haley. “Nice try.” He turned to look back at the ongoing fight. “Nope I won’t do anything. There is a reason behind it and I don’t expect you to understand it.”

“You’re afraid of her,” Haley said after a moment’s thought.

“Please,” Gabriel snorted. “Go back and tell Dean that there is a plot. You have to discover that for yourselves.”

Haley nodded and started to walk out the door. She paused a moment and looked back at the angel as he watched the spectacle below. She replied, “Fine. Just answer me this: why bother with this if you aren’t going to help?”

“Because I’m an ass and she knows it.”


	10. Chapter 10

Dean was ready to rip out a few lungs since they were laughing at Sam. No one messed with Sam and got away with it. That was the rule in general when it concerned Sam. However he knew better than to start a ruckus in the middle of territory that was clearly Angela’s and she wasn’t there to tell him that what he had in mind was an idiotic way of dealing with ridicule. Well he didn’t have to have her there. He saw how she stood ignoring everyone else and focused on Sam and the guy he was fighting.

The gesture she did by running two fingers down Sam’s forehead was a puzzle to him but he figured it was a gesture of good luck. However he was certain that there were some deep seated reasons that she was refusing to explore or wasn’t acknowledging or like he suspected, she didn’t have the first damn clue. To Dean it didn’t seem too out of place since all the other warriors said nothing or made brief nods of acknowledgement. So maybe it was a good luck thing.

Dean relaxed a little when the crowd stopped laughing and Sam actually turned to fight. As much as he wanted to watch, he knew he had a job to do. He knew what Sam was capable of even though it took him forever to really show it with Angela around. He diverted his attention to see if anything was out of the ordinary.

Bobby was looking around the ring while trying to keep Dean from picking a fight. He couldn’t stop Dean from saying a few choice words to a nearby spectator. At least it didn’t turn into a fist fight since the guy Dean spoke to was rather a wuss and he cowered quickly under Dean’s stare. At least Dean was nice to the guy by telling him that Sam would show him.

Bobby glanced around just as Dean was doing. So far nothing was out of place. At least nothing that he could see in this circus. He was beginning to wonder if they were worrying for nothing until he caught sight of Dean staring off in the distance. He leaned over so that only Dan could hear, “What do ya see?”

Dean had been looking around when he spotted someone that he recognized. He knew what Angela said about this place being neutral but did that mean they had to be here? He knew Bobby was waiting for an answer so he replied, “Just someone that I need to have a word with.”

“Ya need a hand?” Bobby had no idea who Dean saw. In this place it could be anything and anyone could be here. He had wanted to scoff at the clause that it was neutral territory but he understood the reasoning.

“No I got this Bobby. Just keep an eye out. Let me know how Sam does,” Dean replied as he started moving towards the aisles. He could see who he wanted to see make his way through the crowd as if to slip away. He had him in his sights though. “I got it.”

Bobby watched Dean slip away. Whoever it was Bobby hoped that it wasn’t someone that would convince Dean to do something stupid like another crossroads deal. He sighed and turned his attention back to scanning the crowds and occasionally glancing at the ring. Sam had won and was standing by Angela. At least one of his boys was thinking with his head.

Dean meanwhile started making his way towards the one he saw. It was easy to tail him once they were in the corridors and away from the crowd. It was not hard to do but that didn’t mean he was good at it. Still he was sure that he had sufficient distance so that he could hide if the guy he was after decided to look behind him and that happened to be the case at one point.

Dean waited until he was sure that the guy was turned back around before peeping out of the room he slipped into. He peered into the corridor to find it empty. He muttered in a heated whisper, “Sonofabitch.”

“That would be right if you really did lose me. Then again you never really had me. Did ya?”

Dean turned to face the demon asshole that taunted him in that rat maze. He glared at him and said, “I should exorcise your demon ass right now whoever you are.”

“That sounds like what you told Carla when you summoned her.”

Dean nearly froze. This douche knew the demon bitch that he made the deal with? He shouldn’t have been surprised since demons had a grapevine just like humans but it sent a momentary panic down his spine. He suspected that Angela’s initial looking for the boss demon of the crossroads tipped interested parties and now… He got a grip though and said in a controlled voice, “So what if I did? It’s what I do to hell bitches like you.”

“With Carla you didn’t just like you aren’t going to do to me now. You know that sometimes you have to keep us hell bitches around otherwise what do you have to fight for?”

Dean glared at the demon. He was just as annoying as he was when he handed him the sword that turned out to be the Orion blade. He didn’t gank the bastard because he figured that Angela had gained the demon’s cooperation somehow and it was probably out of fear of her. He had noticed that on the few hunts that involved demons and the way they reacted when she came onto the scene. The funny thing was that they were never like that before Cold Oak so Dean figured that was the turning point. It was a benefit but it also had him worried. He hadn’t forgotten that doppelganger. He finally managed to reply, “Plenty. Whatever arrangements are done are for convenience only.”

“Keep telling yourself that Dean. You and I know that you don’t believe it. You have one mindset and that is to kill us or exorcise us and move on. Talking to the likes of us is a new experience for you and one you don’t like at all… unlike someone close to you.”

Dean knew who it was the demon was referring to but that didn’t mean that he had to let the demon ass know it. He responded as he would normally, “Yeah I know Sam likes talking with the hell bitch Ruby…”

“Don’t play dumb, Dean,” the demon replied. “You know damned well that I refer to her. I’m sure she’s mentioned a few of her more lucrative days and maybe a fairly recent conversation with Ruby.”

Dean knew that demons tended to twist the truth in a manner that made the lie seem plausible. Hell that bastard Rhagos did that to him and he took it out on her and of course that demon bitch with his deal… He tried hard to rein in his temper. He replied, “She tells me what I need to know and I don’t push.”

“Really? So you’ve never wondered how she was able to make a seemingly innocuous object into a deadly weapon so it could mirror Absolution’s abilities? That my friend is something that is not found in any hunter’s school book.”

Dean had wondered that and figured it was in that category of really, _really_ old stuff that she knew and only used mainly as a last resort. Still if she did talk to demons like Ruby, she had her reasons for it. It changed nothing since it was sort of like cops having their stoolies to give them info when nothing else works. Dad would probably have a fit but then again Dad worked with her and she wasn’t the poster girl for hunters being that she was half vamp. If it was something like the demon was implying, then she had her reason for not saying anything and if anything it was shame. He replied, “And what business is that of yours?”

“Oh not any of mine but there is an interested party. You see he’s heard some very interesting things about this one that is close to you.”

In that moment Dean recalled the warning Haley had given him. She had told him to not let her chase the demon and explained why. Yet the only course she seemed to be pursuing was the hearing. That was what she had been working on when they were driving down to this place. His big brother defenses went on high alert and it shocked him that it was those instincts he used for Sam that flared for her. Maybe Haley had a point about what they talked about. He had to be cautious, “What about?”

“Dean, Dean, Dean. You should know the answer to that one.”

“I have an idea but I like to hear it from the side that wants to know.” Dean instinctively put his hand down to where he kept his gun. It wasn’t the Colt but it was packed with iron rounds and would hurt like hell for the demon.

“Don’t even think about it Dean,” the demon warned. “I know that you know that this is neutral territory. Tensions are high and if anything that could be considered treachery occurs, it will be all out war between the heads. Three against three.”

“Considering your nature, I would think you’d want that to happen,” Dean replied. He didn’t drop his hand but kept it close to his gun. He was well aware the precarious situation they were in. It was double for Sam and Angela since they were the ones that were on the ring floor and being watched by everyone.

“That is true but we aren’t stupid either. Believe it or not Dean we want the tournament to return to what it originally was even the fight to the death part.”

“Funny I didn’t think you would understand the concept of honor.”

“And you do? Oh sure maybe daddy John taught his sons that since after all he was a Marine and there is that whole spiel about Marines and… what is their motto? Oh Semper Fidelis. That’s right,” the demon replied in mocking tones.

Dean thought he was past the mocking of his father who was long dead and maybe he followed orders because he wanted Dad’s approval but this was just not… He gritted his teeth and let out a sigh. Then he replied, “At least my brother and I understand it.”

“Keep telling yourself that Dean.” The demon looked towards the window that overlooked the ring. He could hear the cheers going on. At least Sam had a chance.

“So are you done mocking me or are you going to tell me something important, like who is trying to sabotage this shindig,” Dean replied in rough tones as he brought his temper under control. At least she would be proud of him since she was always commenting on his impulsive nature.

“That answer I don’t have. What I do have is a message for your friend. The boss has an interest in her.”

“So you say, asshat.”

“Name calling doesn’t get the results that you want.”

“Yeah well neither does playing these stupid riddle games your kind always likes doing,” Dean retorted.

The demon chuckled, “Well Carla does like doing that with her clients. She does like you though which is probably why she even considered giving you a deal. Be thankful the boss didn’t turn her into a meat soup.”

“Like I am supposed to be grateful that the bitch that made the contract isn’t dead. That’s really a deal sweetener,” Dean replied in a sarcastic manner, “Now what does your boss want with Angie?”

“So you are on a nickname basis? You must be really close. Then again that was implied when she busted in demanding what I knew and left me with this.” The demon then lifted his sleeve to reveal the scar that was left behind.

“Angie does what she wants,” Dean replied.

“But only if it is to benefit you or your brother Sam. Never once has she demanded anything just for herself. Then again no person is that selfless.”

Dean kept up the glare. It was starting to feel like a permanent fixture on his face but he was pissed. He replied, “Maybe she is and for her own damn reasons. Now what is the message?”

“You are too angry, Dean,” the demon teased, “But I know that you are going to continue toying with the idea of shooting me until I tell you.” The demon assumed a serious posture and continued, “So here’s the deal: the boss says to tell your friend that he is watching and is rooting for her. Don’t ask me what he means but that’s the message. Happy now?”

Dean wasn’t sure if it was a trick or some sort of fluke. That was the message? There had to be more to it and it probably had to do with Angela’s reaction. The only way to find out was to give it to her. He replied, “Fine. I’ll tell her… whatever the hell it means.”

“Good. You better get back to your post Dean. After all heads can start to clash since they all know a thing or two about politics.” The demon was gone in a flash leaving Dean alone in the room.

Dean took a couple of breaths to steady his breathing. He had nearly lost his temper but he kept it. At the moment though he was stuck with an enigmatic message and the suggestion that he should be looking at one of the heads of the six families rather than an outside party. It was something that he needed a drink for… and some pie.

****

Lady Davenport looked down at the ring feigning a look of interest. Since there was no betting allowed, she was bored with the whole thing. Now if it had been hosted at her home, then it would be interesting. There was no reason to not have a little bit of gambling since it was a test of skill and to see who was the best at what they could do. However it was little Hakim’s party and it was his rules as per the agreement when the six families scattered as the knowledge of the world expanded.

She had watched the first bout which was some low level warrior that supposedly dealt with a nasty bunch of werewolves or something and a newcomer. He was rather young and tall with a shaggy mop of hair and the clothes he was wearing sparked interest.

From her vantage point, Lady Davenport could make out the design patterns on the cuffs of the newcomer’s shirt. She hadn’t seen symbols like that in a long time and she was certain that the others hadn’t either. They were an honor and could only be conferred to a warrior by another who received the same patterns. Who would have given this newcomer that honor?

Peering down, she watched as Absolution approached the newcomer and spoke to him. Then she saw the movement Absolution made on the newcomer’s forehead. So that was Absolution’s pupil? Lady Davenport let out a slow smile. So maybe Hakim was right in asking Absolution in playing the role of Satet considering that goddess’ reputation. It certainly would fit since she saw the manner in which Absolution gave that gesture to the newcomer. She put a finger to her chin and gave deep consideration to what she had just seen. Like any businessman, she looked for what could be seen as a great potential for profit.

It was amusing to watch the newcomer run away. It was downright hilarious since she had seen smaller men than that giant actually stand up to taller men and take them on. This was supposed to be a reflection of Absolution’s teaching ability. What did she teach her student? To run away like a coward? She should be embarrassed at the whole thing and yet when Lady Davenport looked, she could see that Absolution wasn’t embarrassed. Rather she was focused on the fight and watching everything when her pupil did a complete turnaround and started defending himself.

Lady Davenport watched the newcomer with great interest. She could tell that he had that brawling form about him but it was tempered by the finesse in his movements. Who could have thought that a giant of a man could learn a thing or two about finesse in hand to hand combat? Lady Davenport was surprised when the newcomer defeated his opponent and offered to help him up. So Absolution taught him etiquette as well. This certainly was interesting.

Lady Davenport looked over at no one in particular but leaned towards Yi Xiang who was watching with interest and said, “I think this newcomer has potential. Certainly he has the appropriate manner.”

Yi Xiang glanced at Lady Davenport with a stern look. She only gave the briefest of nods in order to save face and keep a polite air. She was not one to judge but she suspected that Lady Davenport was one who didn’t want this to happen. The woman put up opposition and often made snide remarks about warriors and people that were essentially good. She turned her focus to the bout that was starting.

Yi Xiang knew the warriors and then decided to observe Absolution with her pupil. The boy fought well after he got over his initial fear. Yi Xiang could see some of Absolution in his movements but they were mostly his own. She gave a slight nod at the realization that Absolution worked with her pupil’s natural movements as well as fighting style. It was a shame that the boy’s older brother was not participating. She was curious how Absolution worked with him.

Lady Davenport knew that Yi Xiang wouldn’t respond. The woman never said anything unless it was worth saying. Most people knew how to interpret the stoic look that she wore like she did clothes since the woman said nothing and when she contributed to any meeting, she always did it through an intermediary. The woman was frustrating. She shrugged her shoulders and adjusted herself in her seat.

“I do agree with your assessment that the boy has potential. However I think the real test will come if he goes against say Lykos or Theodor,” Zahir replied as he flashed his charming smile. “However it is a pity that his master will not be competing. It would be most interesting though to see Absolution and her pupil go against the best paired team.”

“But as it stands, it is one or the other,” Hakim replied reminding Zahir the rules. There was an exception but he didn’t want to bring it up. It could put an unnecessary burden on Absolution. Besides there was no guarantee that they would even make it that far.

Lwazi had been listening to the whole conversation. It was probably a bad idea to mention this but maybe he could relay a message to Haley and she could explain. He had the thought that if the champion and his trainer or partner were to go in a teamed match, and in particular Absolution and Sam, it could reveal who had the motive to sabotage the tournament. A majority of heads agreed that Absolution is one of the best and she had the ability to unify the warriors. She would be the prime target besides the head.

Lwazi was curious if Absolution was aware of that possibility. He had heard of her ability to plan battles and strategy. He had heard about the near conflict in Greece and what she had done there. In fact when he got in contact with Haley again, he asked about what happened with her life and ended up hearing about Absolution and what she did. Haley emphasized admiration for Absolution but then her tone changed when she mentioned the brother of her pupil, Dean Winchester.

He had a chance to observe the elder brother and saw that while he was not refined, he essentially had a good heart. He could also tell that something weighed him down and it was similar to what weighed Haley down. He often did say that common experiences bonded people but he suspected something else between his granddaughter and the hunter. It would be interesting but he was going to have a talk with the hunter before he left for home.

Since the heads were talking about Absolution and her possibility in sharing a match with her pupil, he realized he had to say something. Reluctantly he said, “There is a possibility. I am sure you are all aware of it, especially you Hakim.”

Hakim knew exactly what Lwazi was talking about. He hoped to stave it off and replied, “That is if there was the remote possibility that her pupil succeeds in becoming the champion.”

“I would think that he would, considering the newcomer has the sacred sigils sewn onto that thing he is wearing,” Lady Davenport replied. “Surely you all have noticed it.” She pretended to look shocked at their lack of attention.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Lwazi asked hoping to see what the woman was getting at.

“Please Lwazi. Any of you should know that those sigils can only be conferred upon one by someone who has received them,” Lady Davenport replied. “Someone obviously thinks the human boy is worthy of them and I think that is a good indication for a certain outcome.”

“You should know though that nothing is certain. It is a test of skill and experience. It is a long way from the early days to stem the bloodshed that ran through this world,” Hakim countered. He hadn’t failed to notice the sigils on Sam’s tunic. He also knew that they were powerful because it had been made by the hand of the one that gave it to him.

“So you are saying that there is no chance he would make it,” Lady Davenport countered as she made the appropriate gesture since the match was coming to a conclusion. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Perhaps it is because some have the sense to know that nothing is certain except by those that are granted that ability,” Yi Xiang finally spoke. “If it is determined that the boy wins this tournament then it was meant to be. We should respect that.”

“I agree,” Hakim replied. He was grateful that Yi Xiang spoke when she did. She had informed him of her support. “Let us finish this day and we can speak of this more later.” He sat and looked forward and the others took his lead.

****

The observation post that had been selected was well out of sight and provided the perfect place to see what was going on. It had been centuries since she felt this excited about anything even remotely related to the Akhet. She sat on the beam and peered down at the spectacle below.

“Are you enjoying yourself my love?”

“Most assuredly. It’s been centuries since the tournament has been hosted in near perfect format. I can’t wait to see the exhibition. I love seeing the warriors sort of reenact how we first met and their wild stories of our personalities.”

Her companion chuckled. “Mortals do have a way of telling stories but then again some things are true. All stories are based on some truth.”

She laughed. “So what do you think of the fighters so far my dear Hapi?”

Hapi leaned over to look at the next bout. He had seen the first and was rather impressed with what he saw. He replied, “Well I know most of them Satet but there is one that I think will prove to be a warrior in the truest sense of the word.”

“Really? Who is it?”

Hapi sat next to Satet and pointed out who caught his eye, “The one with the sigils of the emissary’s kind.”

Satet peered to look at the one. Hapi had a talent of sensing out which warriors could bring about a change in the course of the world. It was how he found her. They both were worshiped for the Nile and he sought her out and challenged her to a duel. It ended up how they fell in love and became the patrons of the tournament. Now he was certain he found another. She looked at the one and asked, “That one?”

“Yes and the one who taught him as well as his brother,” Hapi replied. “The three of them are important for what’s to come and they will feel as if the burden is too much to bear. There will be trials on all levels.”

“Very astute of you Hapi,” Satet replied “I am curious about Absolution. She was asked to be me so to speak. Perhaps she will be successful in rallying forces to bring back what this tournament once meant.”

“I hope you are right my love.”


	11. Chapter 11

It was down to the final matches of elimination for the semifinals. So at the moment a break was going on while the lineup for the matches was determined. The warriors that were eliminated had gathered in the stands and were waiting for the lineup. The remaining warriors and their seconds were on the floor taking a moment to breathe and walk off minor injuries.

“Hey. That’s a little cold.”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle as she finished rubbing the salve into the red welt under the ribs of Sam’s left. She had noticed him favoring his left after that last bout and figured that the kick Gaia had given him was a lot harder than he made it seem. Gaia probably figured that would wear Sam down but he persevered and he got her by giving a combination that more often ended up knocking him on his ass.

As soon as the break was called, she made a slight motion and led him to an area where there were no prying eyes and asked him to show her his ribs. Surprisingly he didn’t resist and lifted his shirt to show her the red welt that was starting to form. She reached into the pouch at her waist and pulled out one of her salves and set about applying it.

Sam flinched at the initial contact because the welt was painful. The kick really hurt and he was sure that a rib or two was bruised as well. He didn’t quit though and it wasn’t because of some macho crap about getting his ass handed to him by a girl. He had his ass handed to him plenty of times by Angela as well as his brother. He didn’t quit because he didn’t want to let her down.

It was hard to put into words but Sam felt that it wasn’t a simple owing to Angela. In fact most people would question that logic since she didn’t get him out of a fight but rather forced him into a series of fights that so far he had been lucky or something and won all of them. It was the fact that she put more time and energy into training him and Dean in between their cases and working on her big project or trying to break Dean’s deal.

True she implied that she didn’t want to be embarrassed by him getting beaten black and blue on his first time out but Sam wasn’t fooled. She did it for whatever reason she wanted to call it and she didn’t have to be his drill sergeant but she did it. He didn’t want what she taught him to go to waste. Of course that meant taking the hits and keeping going. Now he was reaping the consequences. After the initial soreness, he felt it dulling as Angela kept rubbing the salve in.

“I see that the cold died. Feeling better?”

Sam looked down as Angela applied a little more salve onto her hands to rub on the welt. He looked around as he felt the soreness die down. “Yeah, a little. What is that?”

Angela finished rubbing in the salve and then rubbed her hands together to rub in the salve. She corked the salve and held it a moment while motioning that Sam could put down his shirt. She twisted her lips in a manner that indicated that she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to mention it but she decided to anyway. “Wild yam.”

Sam gave an incredulous look at her. “Seriously?”

“Well it’s my own concoction to reduce swelling and pain for bruises and sore muscles but one of the main ingredients is wild yam,” Angela replied with a slight oh well shrug as she put it back into her pouch. “No I haven’t taught that one to Dean yet. You have some idea to the methods of my madness.” She gave a slight smile.

“And your madness is enough to drive anyone insane,” Sam replied, teasing her while he rubbed his side after rolling down his shirt.

“Part of my charm. You sure you’re okay?”

Sam noticed the slight concern flicker in her eyes. He felt sore all over but the one giving him the most trouble was fine now. “Yeah, I’m sure.” He took a deep breath and it felt good. He had been on edge as he observed the other warriors go through their matches. Some tried to use dirty tricks on their opponents and quite a few used their other talents. “I never thought I’d make it this far.”

“You did good. I think those punks are starting to see what they should have been taught,” Angela replied.

It had been nerve wracking to watch Sam fight up to three of the Chaser punks that jumped him. She was right that they were going all out and using their abilities. She had never trained Sam to counter them because she couldn’t use her own against him. However when she lectured him on the possibility of them using talents to make it seem like he was fighting people he was close to, it clicked since the past few weeks proved it to be so. That last one, he didn’t hold back though she suspected it was because he couldn’t see her face.

Yet she had every confidence he could overcome the handicaps. She was certain he had seen an illusion during one of his matches because he paused a moment. It almost cost him the match but he snapped out of it long enough to beat his opponent and he offered them a hand up. Angela always knew that despite the situations he and Dean were thrust into, they both had a sense of honor and good sportsmanship. She saw that when she watched Sam play soccer one year as a kid.

“I guess it would be pretty cool if I won this thing huh?”

Angela couldn’t help but smile. She trained him so he could survive the hits. She never considered the possibility of winning. “It could be,” she replied, “And it would probably give Dean something to talk about for a while.”

“Well I guess there are three of those guys left right? I guess that was better than trying to take them all on at once.” Sam leaned against the wall of the corner that they were hiding to take a breather. The throbbing from his left was dull enough now to be ignored.

Angela observed Sam’s movements to gauge his injuries. She had felt every blow as if it had been delivered to her and those punks didn’t go easy at all on him. Sam was right. There were three of them left. Two had been eliminated and both by Sam so that left three including the punk who started the whole mess. “Well you might get lucky and one gets eliminated by one of the others.”

“Might though considering the luck Dean and I have…” Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Truth be told I would rather go after that Lykos.”

Angela didn’t fail to notice that Lykos and Lycan were still in the game. Lycan she expected since he was better than his brother and Lykos she suspected he was doing it to make a point to her. He still hated her and she despised him. At least Lycan saw the truth with his brother but it still made her sad. Now Sam wanted to go after Lykos; how much more trouble could she cause? She looked down making a slight face. “Don’t get into that mentality Sam. Don’t let vengeance get into it.”

“And just what am I supposed to get into?”

“Just focus on getting through it. Don’t let anger rule.”

“Sounds like good advice considering the crap we’ve been through.” Sam didn’t mean for it to come out so sarcastic since it was common sense in a fight. Then again there was nothing but revenge in regards to Yellow Eyes.

Angela couldn’t help but give a slight smile. Yeah she was one to talk considering her vendetta with Azazel. Even if she could justify it as trying to right a wrong, she couldn’t deny that she added getting revenge for Mary’s death. “I agree but remember what I told you. You remember when I used the whip?”

How could Sam forget considering Dean went on for days about that even though he went through the same thing? He gave a short sigh and felt like a berated child. “Yes. I remember.”

“What did I say?”

“Never attack in anger. Anger leads to haste and haste leads you to the grave,” Sam recited. He had questioned the logic at first since this was supposed to not be a fight to the death. Yet as they continued, he realized that she was not just training for this but for their life on the road when they got back to hunting.

Angela knew he was thinking about that and nodded, “I’m pissed with Lykos but to sink to his level and let myself be baited by his snide comments, it makes me no better than him. Of course it sounds hypocritical when I say that I don’t take kindly when people who mean a lot to me are harmed but… You kind of understand?”

Sam didn’t understand completely but he could see where she was coming from. “I guess then if I get Lykos, I’ll show him what you taught me.”

“That’s all that can be asked,” Angela replied. She then heard the call. “Looks like they are ready to start. Is there a weapon you want to use?”

“Weapon?”

“Semifinals and on, the use of weapons is allowed.” Angela gave a slight frown wondering if he had forgotten that.

Sam did forget. He was more focused on not getting his ass beaten black and blue at the time and that little detail escaped him. He had no idea what to do now. He could continue on with just his hands and feet but there was the possibility that his opponents were going to use weapons that could leave a lasting impression like a sword. He was at a loss for words and not sure what to say. The absurd idea of asking to borrow her sword crossed his mind but he couldn’t do that. Everyone knew what her sword looked like and that was probably against the rules.

Angela solved the problem by walking off for a moment, leaving Sam standing there. She was back in a short time carrying a staff. She glanced at her waist and with a fluid motion she yanked off a piece of the sash that made her belt. It was crimson red and contrasted nicely with the color of her outfit. She tore the sash in two and wrapped one piece at each end. She handed it to Sam saying, “There. Now you have a weapon.” She looked in the direction of the ring and tugged on Sam’s sleeve. “Come on.”

Sam followed still trying to wonder where she had found a staff at such short notice. He didn’t question it but instead followed Angela back to the ring. He saw that the remaining warriors had gotten their weapons and were doing mock swings and the like. He watched as he saw Lykos wielding a rather big and serrated blade and teasing his brother with it. He was so busy that he bumped into someone and he hastened to apologize, “Sorry, excuse me.”

The warrior that he bumped into turned sharply and gripped his staff in a firm grip. She glared slightly but it was gone as she stared at Sam, her blue green eyes scrutinizing him until Angela came back trying to find him. The warrior hastened to apologize, “I apologize if I startled you. I guess it is the excitement of the day.”

Sam studied the warrior as she let go of his staff after she studied the colors at the end. She was certainly a warrior and less muscular than that one called Gaia. Her hair was pitch black and shoulder length like Angela’s. Standing next to Angela they could pass for sisters except the stranger was much darker in skin tone. He replied, “It is no trouble. I ran into you.”

Angela said nothing but allowed Sam and the stranger to speak. She had observed the girl during her matches and recognized several styles that she hadn’t seen in centuries. She was good and had potential to win as well and her conduct was becoming of someone of honor. She finally said, “May you fight well and with honor.”

The stranger accepted and looked at Sam and said, “And may you fight well.” She gave a warrior grip and moved away towards the edge of the ring.

Sam frowned and leaned to ask, “You know her Angie?”

Angela watched the stranger walk. The gait, the posture; it was all very familiar. She had her suspicions and the tournament was open to all comers. Most would not recognize her even if they knew her name. Still she had to be sure. She replied, “I’m not sure. Come on. The first match is starting.”

****

Lykos was eager for his next match. He dispatched Theodor with ease. Well the drunkard did put up a good fight with that war hammer and his war cry was deafening on his ears. In fact he almost lost when he was distracted and received the clout with the hammer. It was his agile body that allowed him to spring into action and retaliate.

Since it was the semifinals, he was allowed to use all his talents. He glanced over and saw that boy named Sam watching. He was holding onto a staff and looking a little anxious. Well he would show him what he had to be anxious about. Lykos maneuvered as the drunk Theodor took another swing at him. He caught a glimpse of his brother who had a hard and stern look.

Lycan was always the one who fought without his talents. Lykos believed in using every advantage in battle. His thinking was if you had the power you should use it to keep the advantage. Lykos was forever trying to get his brother to see his way but no. He was under the spell of the bitch Absolution; the one who would one day be his. Lykos glanced over at the boy. He would show him what he truly was up against.

Theodor stood ready to strike. He charged at Lykos. Lykos returned the charge by charging at Theodor. At the last moment, he sprung and he felt his teeth elongate and he felt the strength of his race fill his muscles. He wouldn’t change completely just yet. He would save that for the boy and later when they weren’t in neutral territory.

Theodor may be considered a drunk by most but he was a warrior. He commanded respect from many and he had a soft spot for Absolution. Out of all the warriors, she was the only one who truly appreciated his bad jokes and was a willing participant in any drinking contest he proposed with his malt mead. He hadn’t been thrill when he had been assigned to Lykos but he accepted it with grace.

It started out well with Theodor using his hammer against Lykos’ blade. Now Lykos was using his powers born of his race. To buy time, he let out his war cry. It had the desired effect of making Lykos back off. He was on his feet and wielding his hammer. He said, “So you try to gain an advantage Lykos?”

Lykos was recovering from the war cry and he glared at Theodor, his eyes flickering like glowing orbs. He replied, “Oh I have been waiting for this part since this whole thing began.” He charged again and this time he didn’t let up; not until he had Theodor pinned to the ground and with a few nasty slices from his blade.

Theodor had stumbled out of the ring still bearing dignity for a drunkard. Lykos gave a sneer in the direction of Absolution who looked like she wanted to go after the drunk to treat his injuries. He was surprised when she glared at him and her eyes flickered. Her so called pupil glared at him as well. He couldn’t wait until he got to him, if that was a possibility.

The official then called his brother’s name and he crossed his arms in boredom. Lycan was predictable. Then the official called, “Wosret.”

Lykos frowned and looked sharply to see a tall and well-muscled woman walked forward. Her posture was straight and tall and hair jet black. She wore the black ochre designed in Egyptian design. She wore a simple pendant around her neck. Her shoulders were bare and it looked like she was wearing one of those sports bras that women liked. She wore gauntlets on her wrists and pants with boots. What interested him was what was hanging on her waist at the belt.

Lykos watched as she walked up to her starting marker. As she did, she put her hands to her belt and yanked what was in it out. In her hands were sai which she twirled in her hand. They were elegant looking but it was obvious even to Lykos of their deadly intent. It surprised him that his brother responded by withdrawing his sword. Lykos watched as when the word was given and the speed in which the girl attacked was astounding as she countered and struck against Lycan’s blade until she was able to give a strike of her own.

Glancing over he noticed Absolution observing intently. He saw that she seemed to come to a realization about something. She knew something but he couldn’t figure it out. Her pupil just appeared to watch in an observing manner. He turned to watch as the two combatants fought.

****

“It seems that I missed something.”

Satet had been watching the crowds while the warriors were given a break. She had spotted the tall boy with his trainer. She watched them interact with a familiarity that she found to be a bringer of a fond memory. She smiled as she watched them especially the woman who treated the boy’s injuries. She remembered those days.

Satet had respect for mortals and their ability to survive, to persevere even when things were dire. She was not one to foresee things but she could see that the boy was meant to suffer through trials. She had also observed his brother when he returned to the stands. He was connected as well as the old man. For a time, she observed the brother as he looked down at the ring and appeared to search for his brother.

She was too high up to completely see with her goddess eyes and she was a young goddess compared to the others. Hapi was young as well since he was the son of Horus who was the son of Isis. However she was strong enough to see the shadow that tainted the boy’s soul. It was like a burden to him and yet she could see a fire within that kept him going. She got the impression that even if he were worn down by the battles yet to come, he would persevere. It was in the middle of her observation that she heard Hapi say something. She looked at Hapi and replied, “What was missed?”

Hapi walked along the beams to kneel by his wife and comrade. He pointed down to the combatants in the ring and said, “I believe someone decided to have a little fun.”

Satet looked down and followed Hapi’s finger to a familiar sight. She exclaimed, “What is Wosret thinking? Surely someone would have recognized her by now.”

“Well I can tell you that my favorite girl knows who she is,” a snarky voice sounded.

Satet gave a wry smile and replied, “And which favorite girl do you refer to Gabriel?”

Gabriel gave a dry chuckle. He had walked into that one. It seemed that he was on a role with meeting women who would just as soon as interrogate him and bully him though he had to admit the witch was rather polite. He wondered what she saw in Dean. He looked at Satet and replied, “I refer to the one you call Absolution though I know she hates being referred to that.” He looked down and observed, “Oh so Wosret decided to play too.”

Hapi reacted like any father would. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the archangel; he was just protective of her and didn’t want her hurt. He actually did like the snarky archangel since they did share in a couple of pranks and actually fought side by side during tough times. He replied, “And I supposed you encouraged her?”

Gabriel raised his hands in surrender, “No. You know as well as I that Wosret has her own way of doing things. I think that comes from Mommy. I didn’t know that she was here otherwise I would have convinced her to stay out of it.”

“So nice to see your concern, Gabriel. Surely Absolution appreciates it,” Satet replied.

“I do my best for her,” Gabriel replied. It was true since he did what he did for her when he knew that she needed it. “Look I know your concern. Wosret being down there is a big risk. If anyone knew she is your daughter and a god, that could spell trouble.”

“Do you really think it would come to that?”

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, “Wosret knows battle and how to fight and keep herself out of trouble. However given the fact that there are those who don’t want this Popsicle stand to succeed, they would find leverage in the daughter if the Nile gods.”

“So you think one of the heads might do something?” Hapi glanced down while his daughter was combating the warrior she had been assigned to fight.

“I wouldn’t put it past them. That is up to you though. This shindig was created in your honor and for the express purpose of those days.” Gabriel shrugged his shoulders as he looked down. Wosret was doing well but he was looking at the one he came to see. He added, “That is why my girl is here. She wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

Satet was observing her daughter as she used the weapon she had trained with most of her life. She had been trained in the manner of the Egyptians but also many other techniques of the old world such as the days of Troy and all that. While old ways, they held up well against the younger and more mortal warriors. She looked at Absolution and saw the look of observation. That would only spell something that could result in friendship or foe.

Satet then glanced over where the heads of the six families were. She noticed that Hakim, the youngest and the one hosting this tournament was looking worried and doing his best to hide it. He knew what her daughter looked like… at least that was what her eyes were telling her. The other heads were more subdued. That didn’t mean that they didn’t know anything. “So besides the returning to the old way being on the line, the leverage against us using our daughter is a possibility?”

“Seems like it,” Gabriel replied. He didn’t like seeing Wosret’s parents in distress. By normal circumstances Wosret shouldn’t have been born and that was out of fear that was one too many war gods. She was born anyway and kept safe in the realm between realms where Isis had dominion. He could understand their worry though his worry for his favorite girl could never match theirs. “Look I can try to talk to her and see if she can get out of it before it’s too late.”

“That would be the most sensible thing you have suggested since you came,” Hapi replied.

“Good. I’ll do it tonight.”

Gabriel was gone before Hapi could say anything. He gave a sigh and went to sit by his wife. He watched as Wosret defeated her opponent and gave polite consideration to him as she had been taught. She went to go stand off to the side while another set of opponents had been called. He looked at his wife who was watching and said, “If anyone could convince her, it would be Gabriel.”

“I don’t think so,” Satet replied. “You forget Wosret has your gift but on a more personal level. I think it won’t be Gabriel but Absolution. If anything Absolution will prevent anyone from taking advantage of Wosret. They are more alike in many ways.”

“I hope you are right my love,” Hapi replied as he looked on. They continued to watch the matches until the finalists were selected not surprised that they boy with Absolution managed to stay in the game.


	12. Chapter 12

“How do you feel, Sam?”

“Feels like I may have been crushed by one of Bobby’s junkers.”

“Hey I resent that.”

“At least you didn’t insult my baby.”

Angela gave a slight chuckle as she put a hand to her forehead trying to hide the laughter as she dug into her medical supplies bag for more of the wild yam concoction. The day had ended pretty well with Sam having his last match with one of the punk Chasers. The kid lost when Sam executed a move with his staff that knocked the kid out. He was able to walk out but he stumbled a little from the blow. Now they were back in their room to patch up and rest as well as talk shop.

“Well Sam at least you didn’t have your ass handed to you by a girl like that one chick with the jet black hair.”

Sam rolled his eyes. That would be a fantasy of his brother’s where it involved a girl kicking a guy’s ass. He leaned the staff that he had used against the table near the wall and was rolling up his sleeves to look at his arms. He could make out a couple of red spots that were starting to become purple on his knuckles. Well that last Chaser seemed to like to go for his hands and would swipe at them with his little bat things.

There were also some red spots on his arms where he deflected blows with his forearm. He could also feel the clout that was dealt to his left starting to ache again. To hide the discomfort, he replied, “I nearly did by a redhead with muscles.”

“It’s a good thing Gaia isn’t around. She has pride in her strength. It took her a long time to be able to do what she does and I respect her for it. Only in her thirties and is considered one of the strongest women alive,” Angela decided to stop the teasing. She could see Sam’s discomfort and guessed that the sore spots were making themselves known at this point. She had pulled out the wild yam as well as a vial full of murky liquid. It looked like muddy water and she got the feeling that she was going to have fun on this one. Besides she considered it a new lesson for the sorcerer’s apprentice. She kept a calm composure as she asked, “So Dean did you manage to catch anything?”

Dean was distracted by the vial Angela was holding that was full of murky water. At least that was what he thought it was.  She was holding a jar of something else but his attention was focused on the vial and wondered what she was doing as she mixed it with water in a clear glass. He managed to reply, “I saw a demon.”

Bobby looked at Dean. So that was what he was after. He asked, “What?”

Sam asked, “Ruby?”

Angela said nothing. She still couldn’t hear Ruby’s name being spoken without feeling the surge of great dislike run through her veins. She had said her piece to Sam and she could admit that the hell bitch had her uses but something had been nagging at her that there was more to the bitch than her offer to help in regards to Dean. Maybe it came from her past experiences but she had learned to trust her instincts especially when it involved the other side. She couldn’t doubt it now but neither would she say anything without proper evidence.

Dean noticed how Angela didn’t say anything and figured that she and Ruby still were not on the same page and that didn’t faze him in the least. Rather he was glad that she was not going to take the hell bitch at face value even if she had come through for them at difficult moments. He knew that Angela and Ruby had worked together at some point and he suspected that it had been fairly recent like that whole juggling of Absolution.

There was no way that Angela would have been able to make all of her fakes act in the same way as Absolution without some form of help. Besides Ruby did help make it so that any bullet fired from the Colt would kill what supernatural thing it was pointed at. Maybe she could have but he figured that she needed help especially since at that time she didn’t have her vamp skills and that was one thing that he wasn’t going to mention to Sam. Sam freaked out enough when she took big risks and hell he thought his brother would have figured it out when he patched her hip up but no nothing happened there.

Realizing that they were waiting for an explanation, Dean gave it, “No. Actually it was the bastard that worked with that Lenya bitch, though I think he was an inside man.” He gave a pointed look in Angela’s direction as she finished stirring her muddy water.

“Cary was here? I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised,” Angela replied with a light devil may care look. “Probably trying to make his usual deals.”

“Wait you know this demon?” Bobby asked the question when the boys failed to. Sam was too busy looking at his injuries and Dean was focused in what was in her hand.

Angela gave a wry smile as she handed the glass to Sam and indicated that he was to drink it. She explained, “There isn’t a person who barely toes the line that doesn’t know Cary. He’s sort of like a cop’s stoolie. He knows what the other side is doing and will sell the information for a price, usually another day to live.”

Sam frowned at the glass that looked like muddy water. He was supposed to drink the stuff? He saw that Angela was in that mood where it was best to do what she said. She wasn’t angry or anything just more… like a tolerant parent. It was hard to describe. He couldn’t help but give it a sniff and found that it was odorless but he still wasn’t sure about it. “So I take it you’ve gotten stuff from him before?”

“Sometimes you have to deal with a devil to get what you need to know,” Angela replied as she shrugged her shoulders. She could tell that Bobby was giving her a look without even looking. Dean wasn’t going to say anything since he was in the same boat. Well, all of them had dealt with talking to a demon at some point or another. They really couldn’t claim purity in the hunting realm. “Cary is a lower level dealing devil. He’s below the crossroads demons but he’s pretty useful. The only thing to watch out for a worm like him is the fact that he will sell you out if he sees profit in it; sort of like going with the best deal to stay alive.”

“I see what you meant when you said you weren’t a saint,” Sam whispered.

Angela turned and gave a slight smile of acknowledgement. She had no right to criticize Sam’s choice of going to Ruby and she explained that. She just gave the warning to be careful. She had revealed her past dealings so she could only hope that if they asked, they would learn from what she told them about the specific details. She motioned for Sam to drink the liquid again.

Sam almost gave the hurt puppy eyes but decided against it. Giving one last look at the murky liquid, he downed it like he would if it were straight up whiskey. He was surprised that the taste was like water.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Angela muttered loud enough for him to hear. She handed him the jar of wild yam before turning to Dean. Sam could apply it and she certainly wasn’t going to give Dean ammunition for bad jokes. She asked, “So you saw Cary. What did the little worm want?”

Dean almost wanted to laugh at Angela’s choice of description for the demon. Hell the demon acted all tough in front of him but Angela was describing him as a low level punk wannabe. Maybe, like most other demons he had come across lately, this Cary guy was afraid of her. Thing was he was not sure about telling what the demon told him in front of everybody. It was treading close to the back burner plan about going straight to the top in regards to his deal. He didn’t want Sam or Bobby involved in that. It was bad enough that she was willing to become human to save him. He replied, “Well he mentioned that the demons want this shindig to play out smoothly.”

Bobby scoffed, “That’s a surprise. Since when do demons care about this honor thing?”

“Quite a bit actually,” Angela replied. She had been observing Dean and could tell that the demon told him something more and it was probably something regarding the dealing devils and the like.  She continued, “Demons are descendant from the Ancients, the first and purest. The tournament was created in the days of those wars. They have their lore just like we do.”

“Still demons fighting fairly? Seems a little farfetched don’t ya think?” Bobby looked at Angela with a quizzical expression. It wasn’t that he doubted her but this was something that was way outside the normal box.

“Not really. In a way the old tournament was fought to prevent more bloodshed by pretty much having the champion of each side duke it out until one side wins. It evolved though but the main points are still there,” Angela explained. “The tournament grounds are neutral territory and both sides know that. He probably goaded you didn’t he Dean?”

“More or less.”

“Generally speaking to attack without provocation or not in relation to tournament business is virtually an open invitation to war. My guess is that even though the demons would crawl for that opportunity, they don’t want this to happen. So it is likely that the ones to make a move would be one of the heads themselves.”

“That’s a pretty big assumption Angie,” Bobby replied, warning her with his tone that she didn’t have any proof. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe her but he had to remind her that she had to consider all the possibilities. “After all we’ve had breakfast with two of them and you’re friends with one. How can you be sure they won’t try something?”

“I’m not. No one is above trying to sabotage this event. As much as I hate to say it, Hakim is suspect as well. There is much to be gained and a lot to lose; especially considering that events in the past have brought in considerable revenue by allowing the betting to go on.” Angela looked at her audience. Sam was just holding the jar while Dean and Bobby were looking at her. “Anything else Dean?”

Dean frowned a little trying to play at being confused. “Well he mentioned that his boss was watching you and rooting for you. I don’t get it. You’re not competing Angie. Why would he say that?”

Angela knew that Dean was playing at being dumb since he probably figured out what she just did. The king of the crossroads was here and he had his eye on her. She had given up on searching for him since she realized that it was going to drive her into the ground and probably down a path that she was trying to keep Sam off of. She replied, “I know but I’m not sure.”

Angela had a thought though. She picked up Absolution and shoved it into the scabbard on her back. She picked up the knife that she sometimes strapped to her waist and put it on. Last but not least, she put shuriken in her waistband. She headed towards the door when she was stopped by Bobby asking, “And where to ya think yer going?”

Angela turned to reply, “I’m going to see Hakim. Since there are demons about I want to make sure he is in his right mind.”

“He’s the head of his family right, Angie?” Dean looked at her puzzled.

“Hakim is very young to be a head. He did learn a lot from his father but when it comes to dealing with people, especially demons, he can get a little flustered. I don’t know how much he’s grown up but he can be a little gullible and I have some questions.”

“Need some help?” Sam finally spoke. It was more out of concern that she might run into Lykos again and he didn’t want her hurt or anything.

“I can handle it. Besides I’m not just going for a stroll,” Angela gave a playful smirk. She gave a slight nod in Sam’s direction to indicate that it was okay. “Besides after what happened at the reception, no one is going to walk these corridors without a weapon of some sorts. Call it paranoia but…”

“And what do you want us to do?” Dean was all for helping but he was going to have to take drastic measures to make sure Sam stayed out of it.

“Turn in. Get some rest, especially you Sam. Big day tomorrow. If you need anything, I’m sure you figured out the gong on the wall summons someone. I’ll be back,” Angela finished as she slipped out the door.

“Girl doesn’t sit still long enough,” Bobby muttered as he went to fish out a beer from the cold storage he had been shown. He pulled another out and tossed it to Dean.

Sam said nothing but continued to look at the door. He held the jar of stuff that he recognized as that wild yam stuff but he didn’t open it. Instead he sat down on one of the couch things and let his body relax while he thought about what Dean told everyone.

****

Ever since the reception, it was not a good idea to go without a weapon. Even though the grounds were neutral territory, the mere presence of a weapon was enough to divert most people. However there was the greater temptation to pull out a weapon if it was carried on a person. So the biggest talent that was staying everyone’s weapon was discipline and self-control.

Wosret so far had been impressed by the warriors that had shown up for the tournament. She was impressed at the turnout since it was a big thing for the tournament to be going back to the days of old; when her parents were highly regarded. They still blessed the annual flooding which started the night of the reception and she guessed that they were probably somewhere in hiding and watching. She was there for a different reason.

She had been hiding in one of the corners of the room during the reception. She had come to see how this would be handled since she heard that it was returning to the days of old. She even toyed with the idea of participating since it was open to all comers. The big thing in her favor was that few people knew who she was. As far as the stories went, she was a local goddess of war worshipped in a small area in Egypt. That worked since she did have a cult following but it was too small to garner significant attention from anyone of importance.

Wosret watched when she saw the female warrior charge and leap onto the long table to catch that arrow. She was impressed. Very few warriors she had met were able to accomplish that kind of feat. The war cry was also impressive since most cries sounded like a screech. This was distinct and caught the attention of everyone. The posture was perfect.

It didn’t take much for Wosret to find out that the one who caught the arrow, saving one of the six heads of the six families was a favorite of her grandmother’s. That was a rather blanket statement since Wosret knew that there were several who were considered favored by the goddess Isis. Still she was curious about the one everyone around her called Absolution.

Deciding that the best way to get close to Absolution was to be in the tournament, she entered as a last minute entry. It surprised her to learn that Absolution was not competing but was in fact going to be represented by her pupil. That didn’t bother Wosret in the least since the pupil would have learned something from Absolution and that would be some indicator of the warrior’s prowess.

The boy actually surprised her. After an embarrassing beginning of running away, he proved himself against his opponent and even had the graciousness to be polite about it. She participated and continued to watch the boy in his matches. He persevered even when it was clear that the blow hurt such as his last one before the semifinal. The interaction between master and pupil was something that would require deep thought but Wosret was sure that they didn’t think twice about it because they didn’t know.

Now that there was an evening of rest before tomorrow, Wosret decided to have a look about the grounds. She hadn’t detected any signs of treachery but she did manage to spot some demons. The ancient laws prevented fighting without provocation and thus making the grounds neutral. There were also supernatural means of preventing such things but as it was, all was not perfect. However there were means of telling who did what and few knew about those means.

Wosret wandered through the corridors, looking for possible signs of treachery and was a little disappointed not to find any. She was still considered young by god standards and she was anxious to prove herself capable of handling the duties of a god. She wasn’t petty like some of them who thought that mortals were just their play toys. She did care and because she was from a pantheon of gods that bore correlation to life, she had been brought up in those ways. After all her parents were celebrated gods of the Nile, the source of life for the mortals of Egypt.

As she rounded a corner, she was startled when someone grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into a room that appeared to be a storage room. For a split second she was afraid but it quickly turned to anger as she tried to fight her way free. She barked something in ancient Egyptian that sounded threatening but was anything but. The only sound she heard was the sound of laughter and the grip became gentle and a voice said, “That would work if it were anyone but me.”

****

Haley felt troubled and confused by her encounter with the archangel Gabriel. She wasn’t afraid of him and hell he even commended her for her bravery in standing up to him. He wasn’t exactly like how the Bible would describe him but she figured that was poetic license or a deliberate leaving out of details.

The archangel was exactly like how he described himself. He was an ass, snarky and pretty much the guy you wanted to clobber when he pissed you off. His idea of a joke often had a deadly twist to it like a trickster. And yet when he spoke of Angela, his whole demeanor changed to something else and it was not the asshole he presented to the world. No in fact when she saw him observe Angela watching Sam fight his match, the archangel got a slight smile and look that she determined was nothing like the looks Sam would shoot in her direction but the more like the ones that Dean did.

Haley had spent quite a while talking to the archangel and learned that he was there for watching but he had heard a few things on the grapevine. He had said, “I’m sure my girl knows this but there is a plan to try and ruin this. Some big roller or something like that.”

Haley replied, “That would be obvious.”

“But it is not the outside investments.”

“Are you accusing the heads?” Haley had been indignant at the suggested accusation.

“Exactly and my girl knows better than to make a public accusation. She has more honor than some of these young punks. I’ve seen it in action. She’ll probably come to the same conclusion once she talks to Deano.”

“And why Dean?”

“Because he’s probably talking to a demon right now and one that is good at getting things like information.”

Haley had been shocked that Dean would consider talking to a demon again especially after his deal. She hid it well though. She considered that Dean had his reasons for bothering. Probably they had met before. Then again maybe it was a favor to Angela since she seemed to know things. “And why would Dean want anything from a demon?”

The archangel’s response was perplexing. It was also when Haley found out that the demons were on their side so to speak. That is they didn’t want the tournament’s reputation to be sullied beyond repair. Haley found that odd since from her limited experience, the other side usually did things to spite their side and it would make sense that they want chaos.

That wasn’t the case this time. The archangel said that the other side was interested in preserving the peace (tongue in cheek) but he suspected that it was deeper than that. Actually he had said that it was deeper than that and that was what had Haley snooping around the executive quarters. It was fairly easy since she was related to Lwazi, his granddaughter in fact.

As much as Haley didn’t want to admit it, she had to consider the possibility that Gabriel may be right and if that was the case, then she wanted to make sure that her grandfather wasn’t involved. True she hadn’t been home for a time but she had grown up in her grandfather’s house before she went to her mother’s tribe to learn all of her heritage.

_To give ya a clue, it’s all about the power of blood. Always has been when it concerns power and influence._

Haley gave a wry chuckle as she remembered what the angel told her. It was just another enigmatic clue that gave credence to the idea that the angel was an ass. However the thought that it was worth something hadn’t escaped Haley’s mind. The old stories the tribes told spoke of how things were tied to blood and in fact there were some pretty dark spells that required the use of blood. There was only one place that she could find answers and that was if there was the possibility of finding something containing what she was looking for.

It was strange but there was a library made available to all combatants and those who wanted to learn more about the history of the tournament and other things. There were a few tomes that had diagrams of techniques as well as weapon types. Haley thought it unlikely that there would be any spell books. It all went to the preserving the integrity of the tournament since you went in with the skills that you trained with.

The library was closed so Haley technically was not allowed in but she was curious. As she wandered around, she found a niche in one of the shelves. It was easy to miss if one was not looking for anything out of the ordinary. She found it and at first thought it was part of the woodwork of the shelf until she ran her hand along it.

She found a sort of thick book that was leather bound. It was strapped to a wooden box that was locked with a key. Well she couldn’t pick a lock but she could read the book. Setting it down carefully on the table nearby, she opened the book and what she saw had her frowning.

Even though the room was dark, she had adequate light from the torches. What she saw in the book was rather strange markings. It looked like a spell but upon closer inspection, it looked like genealogies and very old ones to boot. The family names she wasn’t familiar with but they piqued interest. She peered at the top of a random tree and started trying to decipher the names. She was through the first generation when she heard a noise.

Glancing up, she saw shadows of people coming. She put the book back with the box and put it back in the niche. She hoped she did it right but she didn’t have much time. She put it back and went to hide. She hid amongst the stacks so that she could see what was going on. Who she saw was surprising.


	13. Chapter 13

Lwazi looked around to make sure no one was watching before heading to the niche. He felt it and pulled out the box and the tome that he had brought and hidden. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the other heads but he knew from experience that some things that should be known by all are sometimes best kept by a few especially when you knew the tendencies of some people. This tome and box he brought when he heard about young Hakim’s choices for the exhibition.

Lwazi was very old and he looked younger than his years but he had seen much and he could tell that what the young head was attempting could potentially start a war. At the moment only one had firm opposition and two were in a state of limbo, more or less siding with less logical reasons. Three wanted to see the old ways honored again. They had been approached by the gods and given commendation for that choice. He brought what he thought could help but hoped not to use it.

He looked through the tome to make sure nothing had happened to the pages. Mostly they were genealogies of families, primarily the six families chosen to head this tournament. The box had minor things in it but he kept them together for safekeeping even though it was probably foolish and the whole eggs in one basket line came into play.

Lwazi looked around after he thought he heard a noise. He then muttered, “In the end blood has power but not in full blood.” He then tucked everything under his arm and left.

Haley had been silently cursing herself for making noise. She was surprised that her grandfather was hiding something in the library. She knew better than to question things but living on her own and even in the companionship of an overzealous bodyguard, she had to look for things herself. She was suspicious that her grandfather had something that was worth hiding but he must have his reasons. She knew he wasn’t a bad person in general.

The phrase that her grandfather said before he left was perplexing. Haley knew that Lwazi knew about the power of blood when it came to spells. He was a juju man too like her father and arguably the most powerful to come to the tribe. He wouldn’t need blood to power his spells unless he was attempting something that was bad.

Haley slid out of her hiding place and slowly crept to the door to exit the library. She peered out the door and looked down the corridor. Maybe she should head back and pretend that nothing happened. Then she could ask Lwazi about his plans she normally would. It would save a lot of headache in the end. She let herself out and quietly shut the door and took the corridor that led the way to the quarters she was sharing with her grandfather. She rounded the first corner and nearly ran into the tall stately man that Lwazi.

“I suspected that your curiosity would prompt you into exploration.”

Haley stepped back and lowered her eyes respectfully. She replied, “I just wanted to see if there was anything out of the ordinary.”

Lwazi gave a slight smile at his granddaughter. He knew that Haley came when she heard about the tournament and who would be there since she had never been interested before. He knew that she was trying her hand at the hunting game, using the talents she had been born with to help others. In terms of her experience, she was still green but she was capable and he had intended to let her know eventually. “Help is always welcome though I am curious about your motivations.”

“Let’s just say that I owe quite a debt to the ones who saved me from certain death.”

Lwazi continued to smile. Haley had learned a few things and giving suitable if not complete explanations was one of them. “I see. You are familiar with the saying that curiosity killed the cat correct?”

“Only if it is not directed towards a purpose.”

“That you are right. I see you haven’t forgotten what you have been taught.”

“I never forgot. I was just a coward; hiding in the name of duty.”

Lwazi put a hand on his granddaughter’s shoulder. “Never a coward. True courage is making the hard decisions in spite of the pain the consequences bring. It may sound foolish at times but who are we to judge?”

Haley couldn’t but smile at being reminded of what she had told Dean when she first met him and quizzed him on his deal. She replied, “We can’t judge because of the nature of what we do. Absolution is a good example of that.” It was sly on her part but it was a lead in to what she wanted to ask and at least it would save face.

Lwazi nodded, suspecting that Haley was getting at something. He replied, “Yes. Absolution is a good example considering that she is not full blood.”

It was coming to the moment of truth. Haley could blurt out everything or dance around it in order to make a point. She replied, “And yet in many things blood is the key.”

Lwazi knew that Haley had been the one hiding. Perhaps he should have looked for her and scolded her and sent her to her room but she was like him and her parents. They would have found out the means or argued the point to know the full picture at least on their part. He replied, “I see that you suspect something or someone mentioned old things.”

Haley knew that she shouldn’t lie. She also knew that the archangel wished to be anonymous and for reasons she suspected had to do with Angela. She made a compromise and she knew that her grandfather would understand, “Revelation tells that it involves blood.”

Lwazi had an idea who told her and was surprised that they would even be around. Then again… He replied, “There are forces that know of its power and I am reluctant to tell you of it.”

“Absolution?”

“Absolution is a leader, a natural one and that is powerful. There are also secrets that were entrusted long ago and others have found out through manipulations and the like.”

“Then what must be done?”

Lwazi looked at Haley for a time. She was just getting back into that world she left behind to protect what she had been chosen to guard. That decision had her mother in tears even though she was proud and her father worried for her even though he did what he could with his juju. In all fairness she shouldn’t be involved but she seemed determined. He had to be sure though, “Are you certain you wish to go down this path?”

“It would help in better helping a friend protect another.” Haley couldn’t help but tell the old man her reasons. She had heard the rumors regarding the demons and that the king of the crossroads knew that Angela was on his tail even though there had been little to no activity in that area. If she had an idea of potentially why the interest in the woman, she could let Dean know and he would better understand.

Lwazi sighed. Haley had always been able to make friends easily and she was devoted to them especially if they happened to be good people. In this case Absolution made an impact on her. From what his son told him, Absolution saved Haley from the power of the old guardian of the water horse tribe of her mother’s people. The fact that Absolution had been accompanied by two others was an interesting point. He figured one of them was Absolution’s entry in the tournament and Lwazi had been impressed with the boy. He saw that Haley was determined and replied, “Then let us go to my quarters. Even walls have ears.” He led the way to the rooms he had been given.

****

Wosret thought it had been too long since she had seen the one who knew how to pull a good prank when he wasn’t in the mood of teaching a lesson with a deadly twist. He was good at bringing down the prideful even though that made him a few enemies. She had to admit that he startled her when he grabbed her like that but if he hadn’t, she would have kicked his ass. She stared straight at him and replied, “So what brings you here? Bored already with the tricks? I thought you were keeping company with Kali?”

Gabriel knew he deserved that. It was his nature to be an ass with the women he cared about and yet he still wondered why his girl still cared. He looked at the face he hadn’t seen in probably centuries by his last count. She was still the beauty she was when he first noticed her. She had always been in his thoughts, maybe not at the forefront but she was always there. He replied, “I came to watch. Cat was coming and I wanted to see her.”

Wosret knew about Cat. When she last saw him, he would talk about Cat for hours on end and how she actually sent up a nasty prayer at one point because she was pissed at his brothers. She knew that Cat had a place in Gabriel’s heart; not the kind she initially thought of but more of the brother-sister kind of possession. She replied, “You’ve seen her?”

“Well I’ve been keeping an eye on her lately. I’ve not seen her seen her. It’s complicated.”

“All because you make it so. So tell me, why aren’t you up to your usual games? You usually come around when something important is going to happen. Did Mother and Father send you?”

Gabriel made a slight face as he tried to choose his words carefully. True Hapi had hinted at asking him to convince Wosret to drop out before it was too late but who was he to tell her what to do? She would have ignored him. He looked down at her and saw that mischievous grin she got when she was in the mood for some fun. He couldn’t help it and replied, “Would you have listened if I happened to say that yes they did?”

Wosret grinned, “Not really. I wanted to enter. I heard about Absolution and saw her in action. I wanted to see her in actual combat so I entered. I had no idea her human pet was the entry. He’s good though.”

Gabriel resisted the laugh at Sam being called a human pet. She certainly wouldn’t have liked that either. “So why still in it?”

“Because there is the possibility I will go against the boy. That would be fun in of itself,” Wosret replied with a smirk and she put her arms around Gabriel’s neck. “I’m tired of being kept out of things. I want to do something that fits in with my nature.”

“You mean fighting. Go to a bar and start hustling and get caught. That’ll work.”

Wosret released Gabriel and gave him a smack on the shoulder. “You know that’s not what I mean. I know something big is coming on the horizon Gabriel. Mother and Father want to keep me out of it. I know there is something going on here at the tournament and it seems to center around Absolution. I want to know what it is.”

“Of course it will center around Cat. Who here doesn’t know her? Both sides are interested in her yes and as far as I know she is on her own side even if that is with a couple of numbskulls.”

“Cat is Absolution?”

“Of course,” Gabriel replied with a frown. “Cat is the natural leader and blah, blah, the usual crap that pretty much caused the falling out between us. That’s what most everyone sees. The big picture lies within.”

“So this is the part where you tell me like Mother that I am too young to know anything about it?”

“No because in a way it involves you.” Gabriel looked at the frown that marred Wosret’s features. He sighed knowing that he was going into complicated territory. He hadn’t even told his girl this and for a good reason. So he decided to bite the bullet and explained, “Look the reason your parents are worried is because you are a goddess literally but you are young and untested and have that human element to ya. Yeah you are born of two gods but heck maybe it was Dad’s sense of humor at play. I certainly thought so when he placed the burden on Cat.”

“It’s the humanity that I was born with. Many of the gods have lost it or it is too small to matter much. Mine is just enough and could be easily swayed. I’m guessing that it’s the same for Cat. She was born human. That much I know from Isis.”

Gabriel gave a slight snort of appreciation. He had spoken with the goddess before and she was never perturbed by his demeanor towards her. “Yeah but like I said, it comes down to blood. The old timers think that the purebloods and full blood are the more powerful but it’s not so.”

“You speak of the theory that the child born of two races could be more powerful than full blooded versions.” Wosret had heard of this theory before. It was more of a genetics lesson, like the difference between purebred and mutts. Mutts were hardier, could withstand more punishment and there were some cases that the mutts had superior abilities to their full blooded kin. Yet the results were inconclusive. “That’s just a theory though. There are dozens of examples how superior strength is nothing more than a fluke.”

“Try telling that to ambitious assholes. Think about it Wosret: a Halfling is hardier than both sides in some degree and the abilities that show up; it is a tempting proposition. I’m glad Cat said no to the asshole.”

“You are referring to the incident in Greece.”

“I should’ve smited him.”

“And blow your cover? You yourself said that you were in witness protection… whatever that is.”

“Wosret, a half blood has more value. I think that is the underlying theme to sabotaging the event.”

“You mean the plan was to…”

Gabriel nodded, “Lure Cat here and then start something. She would be distracted into keeping the peace while the behind the scenes act goes into play.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“You are not a well-known goddess. You appear human but anyone with experience in spotting differences can see that. A young goddess with her humanity in tact…” Gabriel trailed off to let Wosret make the connection. He had heard much through the grapevine and for once was glad that the demons were not up to something. They knew better unless they were foolish.

“I see,” Wosret came to the realization. “Well I guess the first thing to do is to warn Cat.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. That wasn’t the idea. Then again Wosret always did her own thing. “The point is to get you out.”

“And what about your precious Cat?”

“I am concerned about you. There are some in that ring that have little to no respect for gods or goddesses.”

Wosret glared at Gabriel and challenged him, “Are you saying that I can’t take care of myself? Cause if you are, you can stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

“I’ll say it anyway and that it is not that you can’t take care of yourself but there is the possibility that one or more may be working with the one who wants this whole thing to fall.”

Wosret paused. This was a side that few have ever seen the archangel show. He reserved it only for a few choice individuals. She knew he did it when he mentioned Cat and he did show that side to her. It was like at times he was ashamed of showing feelings. Maybe Cat knew that as well as she did. It certainly was something to think about. “So you are saying that by staying in, I could be putting myself in danger?”

“That’s the possibility but I’m not going to tell you to do anything since you make the choice.”

“Much like your Cat.”

“She’s a rare breed all together.”

“Then maybe I should stick around. More likely she has figured out who I am already. Her pupil seemed to think something was up when he bumped into me earlier.” Wosret gave a saucy grin; the kind Gabriel liked to use when he was up to something.

Gabriel knew that he had done what he could. He spoke to Haley the witch and hinted to look into things regarding blood. That would lead her to Lwazi and they would do their juju thing. Wosret most likely would be helping Cat should something happen. Yi Xiang and Hakim would be watching for signs of treachery and Cat... Cat, short for Catalina, the name she no longer went by, she would probably do what she did best and that was to play along while doing what he liked to do, set up the plan to fall into place. He couldn’t do anything more since there was one secret of this place that few knew about. He almost glared at the Enochian symbol hidden on the wall. Angels were allowed in but couldn’t interfere. It was a politeness to invite them.

Gabriel knew he couldn’t do much unless it fell within his province to give a hand. All he could do was pretty much watch. After all humans had to get in and out of their own messes more or less by themselves. He said, “Alright. Just, be careful.”

“Aren’t I always?” Wosret replied with a smile. She gave a kiss to Gabriel and watched as he took off.

****

Hakim was sitting at his desk trying to work out family business since they did have to make a living. He was good though at keeping that separate from tournament business. However he couldn’t put it aside completely since he was in charge of the vast empire in communications technologies his father had built.

The first day had gone smoothly. He was half expecting something to happen much like it did at the reception. If it hadn’t been for Angela, that arrow could have brought about a nasty end to Yi Xiang and possibly start war. He didn’t doubt that Yi Xiang could have stopped the arrow since she was an accomplished warrior and had actually won local competitions in her village before becoming head of her family. He suspected though that the elder woman wanted to see what his friend could do.

Hakim was not stupid. He knew that the heads were familiar with the name Absolution and the stories of one who would wield the sword and lead the armies of the earth against the horde of demons. An embellishment at best but a tribute to Angela’s ability to rally troops when necessary. However the heads were more familiar with her combat ability. He never told Angela this but she had been dubbed as a warrior princess. He could hear her scoffing at that title and hear her working over time to dispel anyone of that notion.

It was fairly accurate though. It wasn’t meant as a joke but an honor. Hakim and others like Yi Xiang and Lwazi saw Angela carry herself regally. She wasn’t born royalty but she carried herself as such. It started rumors that she had been trained by the gods of war in the art of combat and even went up against certain gods when no one else would dare to. Again more embellishment to her character in that she stood for justice. It grew and it didn’t help that he called her the name of the warrior goddess Wosret when he was a boy. He was just glad that she was there and that maybe her ability to inspire troops would inspire people and make this a reality.

He was thrown out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. He said, “Come.”

Angela entered looking like she was ready for battle. Hakim couldn’t blame her nor could he blame the other warriors. He had noticed them wandering the halls carrying some sort of weapon. It was permitted but to attack without provocation was frowned upon and in all of Hakim’s memory he had seen the consequences only once and he still shuddered at the memory. He looked at his old mentor and friend and gave a slight smile and said, “You look ready to pick a fight.”

Angela returned the smile with one of her own. “Well it can be expected since someone doesn’t want your plans to come to fruition.”

“Well I would think that you prevented that when you did your moves. I know Yi Xiang appreciated it,” Hakim replied.

“Remember what I taught you: the threat will never die until it is certain that plans are foiled.”

“How could I forget? I use that strategy all the time when dealing with specifics for the Akhet,” Hakim replied as he put the pen he had been using down in the spine of his ledger. “If this is about putting you on the spot with Victor, I’m sorry about that.”

Angela frowned slightly bemused that Hakim would think she would be upset about that. She replied, “Don’t be Hakim. I had no clue that he was here and you did pretty good in keeping him distracted.”

“Victor does like pretty girls but intelligent ones even better.”

“So this was your way for setting me up for a date?”

“No just protecting your student. I have the lists of all the warriors. Victor mentioned the name Winchester and I put two and two together. I asked Jason to help before you showed at the reception.”

“I figured as much,” Angela replied with her smirk of a smile. “Now Hakim there is a reason why I came here tonight and it’s not about the tournament but rather the potential for sabotage.”

Hakim knew what she was talking about and replied, “The grounds are neutral. You know this.”

“I know but I am curious about the interest the demons have, in particular the boss of the crossroads,” Angela replied.

“The demons want the tournament to be the same. You know that they have some semblance of honor. You know better than anyone the history of the tournament,” Hakim replied as he closed the ledger and stood up. He went to where the wine table was and poured two glasses.

Angela gave a slight twist of her head in a knowing fashion. She could be accused of being a geek and Dean did once or twice though her sources were more from his side of the tracks like the Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift movie though the beans were spilt later. “True but I want to know is if my presence here has placed anyone at risk.”

Hakim sighed as he handed a goblet to Angela, “I would say no but you and I both know that you are popular in both the good way and bad way. I suspect that it is one of the other heads that doesn’t want this to succeed and they aim to have it fall on you.”

“It won’t be the first time,” Angela replied taking a sip. Her eyes scanned the room and at one point she caught the flicker of the lamp light that Hakim had left burning. Someone was entering and they weren’t invited. “The reason I ask is because Cary is here and if it’s not for profit, it is for a job or he knows something and will sell it for the usual.”

“Well Crowley was here and he is probably watching,” Hakim admitted. “You know I can’t turn him away if he wants to watch.”

“The thing is that he knows I am sort of looking for him and it’s in regards to some business which rather has me disgusted which is why I ask.”

“He mentioned nothing,” Hakim replied as he took a drink. “However in regards to the tournament, I suspect that something big is being planned. The thing is I don’t want to ask you to try and solve it.”

“Oh that won’t be a problem,” a new voice entered.

Angela looked up, still holding her goblet. There were maybe four or five black clad men and they looked ready to fight. She narrowed her eyes and she almost wanted to snarl.


	14. Chapter 14

Angela glared at the party that decided to intrude. She didn’t recognize them but that didn’t mean she should take them lightly. She continued to hold the goblet with the wine in her hands and her eyes noticed the flicker of the nearby torch. She had an idea but that depended upon the party crashers that were looking at her and Hakim.

“Oh that won’t be a problem at all,” the leader of the group said. “Since someone wants a word with you.” He pointed at Angela.

Angela gave a slight smirk as she looked at the group. “And is there an invitation somewhere there?”

“You can come quietly and make this easy or make it hard and possibly risk the infamous wrath of the gods,” the leader taunted.

“Now that might be a problem. I don’t go anywhere I don’t intend to go,” Angela replied. “I suggest that you leave and call it a night.”

“Not a chance.”

“Stop now before it’s too late,” Hakim interjected.

“Shut up boy. You will get yours too.”

Angela turned her mouth slowly into a smile that meant she was thinking of something. Hakim did say that she knew more about the tournament than anyone; at least the history of it. She had to learn it when she was asked to be a champion. She had an idea and it depended upon Hakim picking up on her intentions. She replied, “It looks like they want to risk everything in spite of the consequences. That looks pretty bad.”

Hakim glanced at Angela and noticed the look on her face. He had seen that once before and that was when she had an idea formulating. He needed to know what she was thinking. He replied, “Well it is pretty much law that to attack on neutral ground pretty much can mean…” He made a gesture with his free hand.

“It doesn’t matter if you come quietly,” the leader of the thugs responded. The way he saw it, they had no choice.

“Well I’m not inclined towards that decision. Too bad there is no place that is not neutral. Then we could really get the flame on,” Angela replied with a slightly mad look in her eye. It looked like she was going crazy but it was part of her attempt at diverting attention from Hakim.

Hakim picked up on what she was hinting at. She was referring to an exception to the neutrality rule of tournament grounds. It was a rule made in order to circumvent the consequences of violation in case the act had to be done in self-defense. Unfortunately there was a dark side to that option and Hakim was reluctant to latch completely on to the idea. “Loss of neutrality does open the floor but also to other possibilities that could prove regrettable.”

“What? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard,” the leader of the gang replied. It was clear that he didn’t understand what was going with his targets.

Angela, on the other hand, knew what Hakim was referring to. She knew that if Hakim did what she was hinting at, it was going to be messy. She didn’t want to do it but she was willing to do it in order to keep from anything happening to Hakim.

_Don’t lose yourself, Angie._

Angela didn’t flinch as the memory of Dean telling her to do what she had to do surfaced in her thoughts. It reminded her of the debate she ad with herself regarding her control over Ellen’s body. She knew what she had to do. She said, “That is possible but not if the path is true.”

Hakim caught the meaning in Angela’s words. She was telling him to go ahead. She would do what she had to do. “So let it be written.”

The leader of the group was clearly annoyed with the talking Angela and Hakim were doing. He was supposed to get the woman and make it look like she took out Hakim. Then it would increase suspicion and the like and the plan could move forward. This was getting ridiculous. He said, “Okay, enough is enough. Now are you coming quietly? It will save a lot of pain and heartache.”

“I don’t think so,” Angela replied. “You see I don’t take kindly to people who think that by demanding me to appear would make it so.”

The leader smiled, “You know that you face probably the certainty of death if you threw a punch with intent to harm. So don’t bother. Funny how a simple thing like neutrality could be used as leverage. It’s almost hysterical.”

“Well I wouldn’t go counting chickens before they are hatched,” Angela replied as she started to maneuver her way towards the torch.

Hakim waited until she was close enough and then he started muttering the spell in the old language. There were two parts to the whole thing. The second part he would have to say if they didn’t back down. He watched as Angela moved and tried to pace himself to keep in time with her movements and the rhythm of the spell chant.

The leader of the group heard the chanting and demanded, “What are you doing?”

Angela was close enough to what she wanted and replied, “Unlike most people, I happen to know that there are exceptions to the rule regarding neutrality. It is a proviso given to the power of the head of the family hosting the tournament. It makes it possible for one area to become void on neutrality.”

The leader grasped what was happening. This couldn’t be so. The boss never mentioned this rule; then it was likely that he didn’t know that rule either. He replied, “You aren’t serious are you?”

Angela gestured with her head, “Hakim is the head of this family and host of the tournament. That spell chant is part of de-neutralizing this space. Once he says the final words, then it is open season.”

The one next to the leader said, “It doesn’t matter. We can take them both.”

“Are you sure you want to risk that?” Jason replied as he walked in. He had come to speak to Hakim about something unrelated to the tournament and a little more on what he found out about the potential assassin from the night before. He had heard Angela talking and the boy muttering his spell chant. They were really going to do it. Well he decided to be backup.

The rest of the group pulled out their weapons. Apparently they were serious about fighting. The leader though was hesitant. He had been told to bring her and he had been told that she would comply rather than resist. This was unusual. He did have orders to fight but he valued his own skin. He replied, “We just want Absolution.”

“Like I said before,” Angela replied, “I’m not inclined to be taken somewhere against my will. Now do you want this to get ugly or not?” She glanced over at Hakim and judging from the words, he was almost finished with the first part.

Hakim was almost finished. He was at the part where he would have to say the words in order for it to be in full effect. It was quite a gamble Angela was taking but she wasn’t going to let anyone push her around or turn this tournament into a disgrace. He knew that when he asked, she would do her best to keep that from happening. He could feel the wind pick up as the wards were being opened and was sure that everyone else did too.

Jason felt the winds and it reminded him of a time at sea with the violent storms and how he managed to navigate through them. He stood ready to jump in if the guys didn’t back off. He glanced over at Angela and saw what was in her hand and what she was standing next to. He was in the line of fire… great.

The leader looked at the three. He felt the winds pick up. These guys weren’t kidding. They were willing to fight. Well the boss did say that if they chose to fight, they were to respond. It was like he knew she would react in this manner. He replied, “You seriously want to do this?”

“You leave little room for choice,” Angela replied, “It’s all on you. If you wish to fight then the last wall goes down.”

The leader looked at Hakim. He had stopped his spell chant and was waiting for some sort of signal. He didn’t think it was worth it but the boss wanted her. He reluctantly said, “Then you leave no choice.” He withdrew the sword that was strapped to his back. “We will have you one way or another.”

Angela made a motion and Hakim took notice. Hakim then said, “As was long ago, this ends as all who know…” He then said something in the ancient language. That undid the last of the wards.

Angela felt the pulse and grabbed the torch. She did it in time since the thugs started to move in. Taking a bit of the wine in her mouth, she spit it through the flames of the torch. It was a very useful trick to buy time as it did now. She released the torch by tossing it off to Hakim and charged forward with a war cry.

Jason joined in by flipping forward, putting himself in a position to fight back to back with Angela. He pulled out his own sword and held it ready. “Just like old times right?”

Angela grinned, “You have no idea.”

The fight started and both warriors returned the attacks with a couple of punches and strikes. Angela avoided the kill since she just wanted them to back down. So she laid down strikes that were intended to knock them out. She laid down a nice move by tripping the guy that happened to head for her and using the motion of his body to take out one of his comrades before she released him. She came face to face with the leader of the pack and gave a grin that welcomed the challenge.

The leader swiped at her with his sword, trying to get her to draw hers. She didn’t so he kept swinging and she kept dodging. He was aware that she was toying with him. So he responded by making moves that were intended to kill. It finally got her to draw her sword but it was unexpected when she turned to run.

At first he thought she was being a coward but she actually was catching one of his men who went after the head. She led him on and she did a flip forward allowing her feet to kick his man in the chest and send him flying. She turned to face him and she had a fire in her eyes.

****

He couldn’t believe it. The boy actually brought down the wards in his office to allow fighting to occur. Crowley had to admit that he was impressed by the whole thing. Of course he had to give credit to Absolution with giving the idea to the kid. Then that fireball thing… pure genius.

Crowley couldn’t gloat for long since he noticed something that was hiding and biding his time. He only hoped that the little worm he sent on the job was actually doing it. Since he was hiding in the rafters from the vantage point that he had found, he wasn’t about to make himself know. No he wanted the tournament to play out and then he would make his move.

The demon didn’t flinch when Lykos appeared beside him to demand, “What the hell?”

Crowley turned to look at Lykos, “Shut up you little shit. You’ve done enough.”

Lykos resented being talked to like that, especially by a demon no less. He retorted, “I haven’t done anything that wasn’t worth doing right.”

“Really?” Crowley gave a look at Lykos that clearly indicated his thoughts about him. He pointed at the scene below, “So you think that by goading her into a fight you’ll get what you want?”

Lykos looked over the edge. He felt his body temperature rise watching her beat off his guys one by one. She probably had guessed by now that they were his guys. She would have smelled his scent on them. He replied, “She would have been brought to me eventually and she would have left more worldly.” He couldn’t help but give a slight chuckle at the thought. It would have been sweet payback for what she did.

Crowley wasn’t impressed. He had never liked the little shit. His brother was preferable and the bastard was too much like a saint. He replied, “You really are stupid since you never could take the word no very well.”

“She’s the only one.”

“Probably, but never yours.”

“Then I’ll kill whoever tries to take her from me.”

Crowley rolled his eyes. The little shit really was an idiot. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors by starting something here. Even with the wards down, she won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Lykos looked at the demon and then his little lackey that was standing beside him. The little worm must have been tailing him all day. Otherwise how could he be there so fast to stop him from interfering? He smirked though, “She won’t do it. Simply because of the gentle giant.”

“Really? Have you even noticed that he merely tolerates you now? He won’t raise a hand against you but he won’t stop her if he happened to see it.”

“You have Lycan all wrong,” Lykos replied as he continued to look. His leading man was holding out against her very well. The others were at various stages of being beat up by the sea dog and the boy who thought he was worthy of heading his family.

“Maybe I do but I would rather keep this on pleasantries and pretty much say this: Stop it.”

Lykos looked at Crowley. He had no idea that he was talking to the king of the crossroads. He thought it was just another demon who was waiting for the bloody thing to end and then have fun. “Why should I? I know the rules and know how to circumvent them.”

“And you almost got your ass beaten by messing with her.”

“A fluke,” Lykos replied defiantly. “She never gets that way. She prefers to run and hide behind diplomacy.” He crossed his arms across his chest in an effort to show that he was not put out by the fact that she did strike back and hard.

“And yet you send men out there to fight her,” Crowley pointed out. ‘I am being sufficiently entertained though. However I know that you are not only acting in your best interests but for somebody else.”

Lykos didn’t flinch. He didn’t like this guy who knew too much for his own good. Maybe he should stick him even though it was not worth the effort. There was no sure way to kill a demon, at least none that he knew of save for that like pig sticker she carried. He replied with a slight frown, “What is your interest in her anyway?”

Crowley grinned as he watched. She was good but these guys were small fry. He wanted to see the ‘warrior princess’ in action. He replied, “Let’s just say that I know things just as well as you do concerning history.” There was no way he was going to let this piss ant get ahold of what he knew or wanted to know.

Lykos was thoroughly confused and he didn’t like that feeling at all. Still he wasn’t going to give the demon the satisfaction of his ignorance. He could figure stuff out if he just asked the right questions. Hell it was how he got a special arrangement that would prove worth all the trouble if everything went right. He replied, “So you’re the one that wants her.”

Crowley had to laugh but he didn’t. This piss wad was so absorbed on his power trip that it was comical ad he respected the grab for power. “Oh I have an interest in her but unlike you, I don’t use the downstairs brain.”

Lykos grew angry. He felt his teeth click.  “She is the one and one way or another I will have her.”

“And that I cannot allow.”

“You will and she will if she wants to see her precious human pets alive ever again.”

****

Dean was lounging in the parlor enjoying the huge creamy confection that was pie. He had requested it after Angela had left to go see the kid Hakim. Dean hadn’t met the guy but from a distance, he looked young, maybe Sam’s age hence his referring to him as a kid. He wasn’t bad looking and he seemed to be in control of things though he would probably say that he owed much of it to Angela. Dean speared a forkful of his busty beauty and thought about that.

He hadn’t put too much thought into it at first but now that he had the time, he found that it was rather disconcerting that Angela had been a mentor to someone else and roughly the same age as he and Sam. It never occurred to him before that Angela may have known other people and taught them things about the job of hunting and other things. It made sense though since she had been around for quite a while and he and Sam had learned a few things along the way, some of them stranger than the usual but it was one of the perks of the job.

Dean figured that he was jealous a little but he couldn’t hold it against her. She just gave and it was in accordance to how she read people. His deal was one of those things that she gave her all to including reserving the right to making herself human just so that he could get out of a deal he made in grief without harming Sam. When she revealed that she was granted a hearing, she seemed like she had won a victory even though it was small. Maybe Haley was right in what she suggested before.

Dean sighed as he took another bite of the creamy pie. His attention was drawn to his brother toying with the jar that Angela had given him earlier while he was at the old laptop. He couldn’t help but give a slight shake of his head. He wasn’t going to get involved with that argument unless she brought him into it and she usually did. Dean always suspected that she was trying to emphasize how they were supposed to watch out for each other and make sure the other took care of themselves. He watched his brother wondering what was going on in that kid’s head.

Sam was tapping at the keys in obvious discomfort from the sore muscles and the bruises that were probably more on his back and ribs than anywhere else. The possible exception was his hands and mainly the knuckles. He scrolled through the pages that his search brought up mostly on the history of the tournament and the six families. He had come across interesting facts regarding the neutrality laws and the like. It was a lot to digest and into his search, he forgot about the salve in his hand and just continued to read.

“You know if she catches you out of bed she’s gonna knock your lights out,” Dean called out to Sam.

“At least she doesn’t use the choke hold,” Sam replied, not really paying attention to Dean. It was enough to catch the gist of the comments and respond accordingly but his focus was on what he was reading.

“Maybe not on you outside of training.”

“It was a test, Dean. You know how those go.”

“Yeah and that is when you piss her off but I must say that she went easy on you.” Dean emphasized the point that Angela went easy on Sam with the choke hold. It was one of his more almost subtle ways of teasing Sam and his obvious to everyone but him attraction to Angela and vice versa.

Sam, as usual, didn’t catch the hint. He replied, “There was a point to it. Just like when she did the same to you.”

“Nah she left a bruise.”

“Which she fixed after making you a sandwich. Really Dean, she has you under her thumb.” Sam finally looked up from his laptop at his brother and gave a slight grin.

“You wanna go that route Sam? You fold worse than I do when she asks you to play with her GPS or whatever else that is electronic.”

Sam chuckled and it relieved the fact that his muscles were screaming for relief. He probably should go to bed since he was the one fighting and not Dean. He replied, “At least she understands the basics just like she does with cars.”

Dean recognized that it was Sam’s attempt at a polite draw. It was probably the best since they both could argue how much the other was subject to the whims of their partner in crime. Dean could point out the research ability and Sam could point out the cars and the fact that she could bribe Dean almost any time with pie. It was a vicious cycle and yet they wouldn’t have it any other way. “Maybe you’re right Sam. So what has you in full research mode?”

“Just some things about the tournament, the history of the families.”

Dean didn’t want to but he felt that it was necessary. The only regret was that he was about halfway through his beauty and he was just getting started and the night was still young. He put his pie on the table that was next to the sofa he had been lounging on and walked over to look at what Sam was looking at. He didn’t recognize the site or the database Sam was using. “Never seen a site like that before. What gives Sammy? You’ve been hacking libraries again?”

Sam gave a wry smile as he expanded a page. “New database. Angie showed it to me saying that it might help if we ever got stuck with the usual methods. It’s a specialty database filled with nothing but the supernatural. It has almost everything and then some.” He clicked on the pages that he had found to show them to Dean.

Dean had to admit that he was impressed. There was more detail than some of the sites he had seen just using Google. There was more detail than Dad’s journal though Dean did recall some interesting entries that were not typical of Dad’s research but they were helpful when they did jobs when he was alive. Dean figured that Angela must’ve given the clues. He then noticed one page that looked like Sam was trying to bookmark or hide or whatever. Out of habit he reached out and opened the page. “You looking for a new boyfriend Samantha? What it didn’t work out between you and feather boy?”

Sam scowled and replied, “Quit it Dean. I was just looking up some information on this guy. He’s one of the guys that made it into the finals and he pissed off Angie.”

Dean knew there was more to it than that but the way how Sam was trying to hide his reasons for looking up the guy that was on the page. “So you want to know enough about him so you can beat the crap out of him for pissing her off? Geez Sam, I thought this thing was about honor. This sounds like petty revenge.”

Sam gave a slight shrug of his shoulders even though it they were sore. There was a lot more to it but he wasn’t comfortable bringing it up. Still if he kept this up Dean would pester him until he confessed. “It’s not Dean. Lykos is bad news. He tried to…”

Dean got the picture immediately. “I should have been there. I would have ripped his lungs out!”

“You and me both.”

“So sweet. Two men willing to defend someone that matters the most to them. And who says chivalry is dead,” a voice came in from the direction of the veranda.

Sam was up and out of his chair in an instant and Dean was by his side. They faced a man and he was flanked by what appeared to be six guys. They all had their weapons drawn and looked ready to do some serious damage. The leader said, “It is sweet but unfortunately not worth it. Time to get rid of the interference.”

Sam glanced at Dean and the only thing that came out of Dean’s mouth was, “Sonofabitch.”


	15. Chapter 15

“Nice retort.”

Dean couldn’t help but shrug his shoulders in response. He and Sam were outnumbered but then again it wasn’t any difference than the ambush practices that Angela made them go through, especially that last one. There was one difference though and that was these guys looked ready to kill. Well the trainees that he and Sam went up against gave the same mentality but they always knew when to hold back.

Dean looked at the swords and various weapons that had been drawn. He was used to the guns and the spirits but he still was getting used to the fact that there were people who liked to bring knives to a gun fight. That was no diss on Angela though since he had seen her shoot a gun and she was a dead eye. He replied, “You would too if the odds were against you.”

The leader laughed, “You know smart mouth you’re right.” It came out sarcastic. “Perhaps I could make this easy and use this.” He pulled out a gun and pointed it first at Dean. “Is that more to your liking?”

Sam looked at his brother as he stood there with his hands raised. He would have suggested taking them on since they had been in brawls before. However this was different since he and Dean didn’t have their guns and one was being pointed at his big brother. Normally Sam wouldn’t stand for that but he wouldn’t risk Dean’s well being over something like this.

“No it ain’t. Now I suggest ya leave before ya find a new hole where it ain’t supposed to be,” Bobby’s voice came from Dean’s left.

From Sam’s view, he could see Bobby pointing probably a Magnum at the leader. It was a big gun and could blow a nice hole depending on how close it was fired. However Sam was sure that Bobby may have made things worse but then again he was toying with the same idea not too long ago. Besides the staff that Angela made in less than two minutes was still leaning against the wall. He could try something…

“You’re very brave old man but how quick are your reflexes? Do you think that I could get off two shots, one for each of these two pests and then have a stand off with you?” The leader gave a malicious grin while still keeping his gun on Dean.

Bobby almost faltered. He had no idea what these guys were capable of and he was still learning how to tell the difference between a regular human and someone like Angela. She had warned him that what made them useful assassins way back when was the fact that they looked and acted like normal humans with nothing out of the ordinary unless you forced it out. This was as bad as the standoff and Ellen’s life was put at risk. Here now it was Dean and implied Sam. He replied, “Far as I’m concerned, you are trespassing so that gives me the right to shoot ya.”

“Yes and that has unusual complications doesn’t it since the neutrality is in place.”

“So that puts ya in bind too.”

“Not really,” the leader replied. “Like anything else there is such a thing as loopholes. Something I am sure that you know about. Right… Dean?” The leader turned his gaze towards Dean.

“I have no idea what you are talking about ass hat.”

“Really?” The leader couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. “I find that hard to believe. I know she appealed on your behalf and even took drastic measures.”

Dean realized that this ass hat might know something about Angela’s activities. He had never told Sam the extent of what she did to even get a hearing. His reasoning was that Sam would flip out and then probably assault her with a battery of questions and that would lead to probably an ass kicking and distrust and the whole shebang that put his and Sam’s relationship on the rocks. It did occur to him that maybe the guy was hinting at things to try and get him to admit everything. “You could be just fishing. Most ass hats do that.”

“That could be true but as the saying goes: who doesn’t know Absolution?”

“That seems to be a popular phrase around here,” Sam replied. He hadn’t failed to pick up at the hint the guy dropped and he noticed the slight movement of his brother’s right hand. Sometimes Dean gave a slight twitch of his hand when someone was close to guessing the truth. He had a feeling that there was more to what happened when she disappeared for a day.

“Pretty much is considering the influence. It is enough to attract the interest of interested parties.”

“Nothing new there,” Dean retorted. “Seems to be our luck we run into things like this.”

“Well then this will make things easier,” the leader replied. “You play nice now and come with me and then maybe it will convince your friend to cooperate as well. Or you could just start a fight and we can see how that happens.”

“Ya think we’re a bunch of idjits to start something?”

“I think you would do anything especially if it concerned the welfare of your friend,” the leader came back with the retort. “So are we having this standoff or will you cooperate?”

Sam looked at his brother. His throat was convulsing with the myriad of emotions that was coming through. “Dean.”

Dean glanced at Sam and they shared a look. They gestured mostly with their eyes until Dean turned to face the douche pointing the gun at him. He replied, “I think we are just comfortable here. Who knows maybe a call will go through?”

It was a random phrase that confused even Bobby but Sam grasped the intention. He didn’t know if it would work since he hadn’t had a hint of the abilities from the demon blood since Yellow Eyes was ganked. Still it was a desperate time and they usually called for desperate measures. He had no idea how to do it but maybe…

He cleared his thoughts and focused on a single word and put everything he could think of into that word, every emotion while hinting at the surge of urgency. He had no idea if it worked or not but he managed to catch Dean’s eye and gave a slight gesture.

The leader was getting bored. The pests were as stubborn like flies and this silent talking the two younger ones were doing was rather amusing and pathetic. “Are you going to make your decision or rather shall I make it for you?”

Bobby hadn’t put his gun down and it wasn’t about to change. “It’s yer skin.”

“As I said there are loopholes,” the leader replied.

“Yeah and I get the feeling that they are the illegal kind,” a new voice entered.

Sam was startled to see the sudden appearance of the woman he had bumped into earlier and she was standing there looking annoyed but it was directed at the douche pointing the gun at his brother. She was dressed like a hunter in jeans and a shirt but that didn’t detract from the fact that she had something strapped to her waist and it wasn’t a sword but had the ability to cause great harm. He watched as she took a step forward and say, “More likely you have means to circumvent the neutrality barrier that went into effect the moment the tournament started. I would expect that of things like you.”

“You talk big little girl. Are you trying to prove how tough you are?”

“No. Just trying to show stupid little boys their place,” she retorted, “But I will leave the fun to someone else.”

“So you interfere and then back down? Sounds like a coward’s way out but in case you haven’t noticed, this one might end up with a date with lead poisoning. Maybe two.”

“Of course that would bring retaliation that scares even the toughest demon.”

Sam followed the conversation and was slightly puzzled. He understood that neutrality prevented people from going crazy and causing war and the like. Here the conversation was talking about loopholes and technicalities. It sort of tore apart the speech Angela told him in the beginning regarding honor. Then again nothing was ever completely fool proof. It would be something to ask her later, if the plan worked.

The other part was this retaliation stuff. To Sam it seemed out of place since both sides at the moment were barely toeing the line. A glance at his brother told him that Dean was thinking the same thing. However Bobby had a different look like he knew what that meant.

“I suggest you leave now,” the woman was saying. “Before someone gets hurt.”

The leader knew this was going nowhere. The interference would suffer the same face. Just as long as… “You know something, I don’t think that I want to.” He changed the direction of the gun and pulled the trigger.

“Sam!”

Sam reacted to Dean’s voice and moved just as he heard the bang. He felt something burning hot hit his shoulder and it spun him around. He heard a second bang and upon turning his head, he saw Dean fall. His brother was clutching his side and Sam could see the familiar dark red of blood seep through his fingers. “Dean!”

“Don’t move. I warned you,” the leader said. He had the gun pointed at Bobby. “Don’t make me kill you old man. Though it would be interesting to see how she reacts to that.” He gave a malicious grin as he directed his men. “Grab them.”

Suddenly something hit the douche’s hand and he dropped the gun. There was a clang and a thump. “Don’t even think about it.”

Sam looked up from his brother towards the owner of the voice. He spotted Angela standing on the rail of the veranda. She was holding… was that a chakram? Sam frowned knowing that if Dean was coherent he would be making jokes right about now. Angela spoke, “Don’t even think about taking them. I am sure that Hakim would be interested to know in your treachery for this.”

The leader looked at the woman standing on the rail. So she defeated the others? That was impossible. “What is this? You’re supposed to be captured.”

“Change of plans and you can tell that slime Lykos that he picked a fight with the wrong woman,” Angela replied holding the chakram in her hand. “Now get out before worse consequences come.”

“No you should be dead. You violated neutrality.”

“And there are exceptions under the law of the tournament. Very old ones,” Angela replied as she glanced at everyone in the picture. “You just have to be a student of history.” She gave a slight pout that was intended to mock the douche.

“Fine. Men, get her!”

Angela grinned in pleasure. She put the chakram back on her sash and with a war cry she flipped forward off the railing and landed to put herself in a protective stance between them and the boys. She was joined by the woman who tried to diffuse the situation. She said, “Thanks for holding out.”

“Always wanted to work with Absolution.”

Angela gave a slight chuckle as she took on two of the guys who tried to swing their blades at her. She blocked using her forearms and countering with strikes of her own. She gave hard kicks to the nether regions that guaranteed a halt to reproduction to the lowlifes. She did a handstand flip to kick someone coming up from behind her and she landed near Sam’s staff.

Taking the staff, she delivered hard blows to the gut and faces of the douches who just didn’t know when to quit. She gave bars of laughter when she teased the intruders with her attacks and they reacted foolishly. Her companion did a good job kicking them out of the room one by one where they were apprehended by Hakim and Jason until only the leader remained.

Angela saved her wrath for the leader. He pulled out his sword and charged at her. She let him run past her and gave a smack to his backside with the end of the staff. She grinned when he gave her a glare.

“Unfair that you are using a staff. Why not use your sword? Make it truly even?”

Angela twirled the staff as she circled her opponent. The others wouldn’t interfere since that was what Hakim ordered when he did the spell chant in his office. They could fight and not be penalized but couldn’t interfere if it came to her and the leader. The rule about warriors and worthiness, blah, blah.

“Angie just knock him on his ass and be done with it,” Bobby said. When she surprised everyone, he put down his gun since he didn’t want to risk shooting her. He fought with his fists and used what he could in the room to take a swing and it worked. He cleared a way so he could drag the boys out of the center; Sam helped with Dean. Now he just wanted it to be over. The look on Angela’s face had him worried and he wondered if Dean’s fears were truly justified.

“It is your choice Absolution,” the strange woman said.

Angela knew that it was. She could kill the guy and part of her did since he hurt the boys. That pissed her off more than Lykos trying to have his way with her. If she stopped to think about it, there was a part of her that considered the Winchesters hers like family but it was so small that it was overshadowed by duty and her loving friendship with their mother. She looked at the grinning lecher’s face.

After the battle in Hakim’s office, she interrogated the leader. It wasn’t too much for her to guess that they were Lykos’ men. The faint stench of his scent was on them and she could tell that they had tried to wash it off. It didn’t take much for her to get him to admit that if she refused on both levels that they were to use her companions, especially the brothers to gain her cooperation. It was then that she heard one word in her mind along with a sense of urgency.  It was then the warrior goddess appeared and they formulated a plan.

Looking at her opponent, Angela twirled her staff and said, “You can continue to resist and get it beaten out of you. Lykos will receive his punishment… eventually and that I promise.” She backed down to give him room to leave with some dignity.

The leader wasn’t going to go for that. “You will regret this. What he wants, he will get. Remember it is all in the blood.” He then raised his sword and charged with a strike intended to run her through.

Angela countered by knocking the blade aside and she grabbed the douche and gave a nice strike with her staff. She knocked him dizzy but he was still coherent enough to understand. She leaned in close and whispered, “Then tell him that his ambition will be the end of him.” She then flung him out the door into his jailer’s waiting arms. She turned to look at the others and dropped the staff. She had injuries to sort out.

****

“So Lykos wanted to use us as leverage?”

“Yep,” Angela replied as she finished pulling out the bullet lodged in Sam’s shoulder. “Clean removal; won’t leave too much of a scar.” She paused and sighed when she saw Sam’s shoulder move to indicate that he wanted to know more. She added, “I didn’t expect that he would be brazen enough to tempt to break neutrality.”

“So ya had Hakim say a spell chant to lift it?” Bobby held up the tray to catch the bullet.

Dean had been first since Sam said he was okay in the shoulder and Angela’s own eyes confirmed it. Both wounds were superficial and she stated that Dean was very lucky that he turned at the last second as she pulled the slug out. Dean of course said that no one messed with Sam and got away with it. He also managed to make a comment about her going Greek. She corrected him saying that the chakram was actually Indian.

That had him groaning and saying that she was a worse geek than Sam. She retaliated by giving a cheek pinch, knowing that he wasn’t going to fight her on it and said, “You are so adorable when you care.”

It had Dean blushing and sputtering trying to find a retort but it died as Bobby began the questions about what happened on her end and how she knew they were in trouble. She replied to Bobby, “Yes. It was a clause made when it actually did happen that a war was started when the neutrality was violated. Since the six families are in charge of the tournament, they were given the power to lift it in any area that they choose.”

“That doesn’t explain why you and that girl were able to fight without consequence,” Bobby countered.

“I know this will be annoying but there are exceptions and it’s not out of greed. Even the gods know that there are always extenuating circumstances,” Angela replied as she wiped away the excess blood on Sam’s shoulder.

Bobby said no more after that and left to give a final check up on Dean who was snoring away in his bed, leaving Angela and Sam alone. Angela watched Bobby leave with a loving daughter expression on her face. “I understand how he feels. You think you learn everything there is to know and there is always one more thing out there to surprise you.”

“Is that what you try to do with me and Dean?”

“No,” Angela replied as she finished cleaning the last of the blood off. The wound didn’t need stitching but she was going to have to put something on it so that the skin would knit quickly overnight. She looked at the row of vials neatly labeled until she selected the one that she needed. She began to shake the bottle. “It was never my intention. Then again painful experiences often bring surprises of their own. I just have to force myself to remember the consequences.”

Sam felt like he stuck his foot in his mouth with that one. Hell he should know by now that most of what she knew came from experience and often they were bloody and painful. Few were actually ever good except for maybe the physical training which she actually let slip a fond memory or two about her teacher, mostly about her father. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be Sam. With all the trouble we’ve been through, it would do you well to question things.”

“But what about trust? If you question everything, it sounds like you are saying you don’t trust your partner to watch your back.” Sam winced slightly at the sting of something being put on his injury and he wrinkled his nose at the smell. “That is the worst smelling thing I ever smelled. Your wild yam smells better.”

“I know. It’s toxic,” Angela replied teasing, “However it will help to scar over. It will still be sore but it won’t open if you happen to do something like slug someone.” She picked up a gauze bandage and taped it on Sam’s shoulder. “You do have a point. That’s where self control comes in and actually asking yourself how much you trust those closest to you.”

Angela started cleaning up everything and making sure the bottle of pain pills were out. She rolled up the bag and placed it in the spot she gave it for the duration of their stay. She found the jar of wild yam on a nearby table with the laptop and picked it up. Studying it, she could tell that it hadn’t been opened. She held the jar as she picked up the tunic she made Sam. There was no damage to it since he changed out of it after the day’s bouts. The t-shirt he had been wearing was another story.

Peering at it, Angela concluded he could still wear it but for dirty jobs like mud slinging.  “Well I don’t know, but it’s up to you. Another t-shirt for the graveyard?”

 Sam had been pondering what she had been saying when she asked the question. He turned to see her holding the shirt he had been wearing when he got hit. It looked like shit but beggars couldn’t be choosers since they had to be careful with their clothes. “Can you get the stain out?”

Angela understood what Sam meant. It wasn’t like they had money to dole out for clothes. It was usually wear them until they fell off of you. Well she had the money, she just preferred to ignore its existence and she explained that to Sam and Dean. She could offer but it was a matter of pride. She studied it. She could work with it. “I can work with it. Let me just put it to soak.”

While she was in the bathroom, Sam managed to find the shirt he wore to bed and started to pull it on only to find that his sore muscles and bruises were acting up again and his shoulder was throbbing even though he could feel that stuff working. He winced as he tried to put his arms through but was stopped and his shirt was adjusted to hang like a collar. He then heard her whisper, “Somebody forgot to put the yam on.”

“I felt fine,” Sam replied in his usual fashion. He didn’t protest when her hands started rubbing the concoction and he smelled the yam.

“Mmhmm,” Angela replied in a knowing fashion.

“I did,” Sam retorted sounding like a child. “Besides I was curious about the neutrality thing and…”

“I get it. Still I would think that you would have asked Dean to help you.”

“And listen to him comment about swinging the other way? No thanks.”

Angela gave a rumble of a laugh. “He means well.”

“So you take his side?”

“No. We have an understanding,” Angela corrected. “So are you going to ask your next set of questions or do I need to keep it up with the anecdotes?”

Sam smiled as he felt the sores die away as she continued to rub his back and shoulders. It was probably the worst thing to bring up but he was curious and he felt that Bobby didn’t ask enough. “I kept hearing that there were exceptions. You explained one. Are there more?”

Angela thought about it for a moment before replying, “There are. Tell me something, have you ever wondered why the gods didn’t smite you when you clobbered Lykos?”

“A little.”

“Well like I said…”

****

“What were you thinking Lykos? You should’ve known that she would have a backup plan!”

Lykos looked at the dark shadow sitting behind the desk. That was the second time someone told him that and frankly he was pissed off. He replied, “She didn’t. It’s always spontaneous. Besides she can’t argue a case without proof. Those lackeys will say anything.” He took a sip of the goblet that he had taken upon arrival.

“True but this could blow up in our face.”

“You have the proof you need to start your scheme. You get what you want and I will get what I want,” Lykos replied, not put out by the near hysterical sound in the voice. He ignored the little voice that warned him of what the demon told him. He took another sip of the wine.


	16. Chapter 16

Dean thought he had died and gone to heaven. He was aware that he could be struck down for even thinking the thoughts that were running through his head and he certainly knew they were running rampart at the sight he was seeing. He only prayed that Sam didn’t kick his ass for it. He rubbed the side where he had been hit and marveled at the fact that it was a dull throb while trying to hide the fact that he was thinking lewd thoughts.

“Are you all right?”

Dean looked at Angela, trying not to look at what she was wearing and replied, “Um… I’m fine Angie. I’m just… marveling at a new trick you have to teach me.”

Angela recognized the look that Dean was exhibiting. The lecher look she recognized but the embarrassment mingled with it had her amused and touched. She knew that Dean never thought of her like others did and that was in regular clothes. She put a hand on his shoulder and motioned for him to lift his shirt so that she could take a look.

Dean complied, still wondering if he was going to get struck dead or something. He looked down as she peeled away the bandage and looked at the wound. Normally he would say something about this being kinky or something but when you had a beautiful woman who had exotic weapons and knew how to use them, you didn’t mess with that.

“Hmm, looks good Dean. Just a redressing and you should be okay,” Angela replied. She went over to the medical kit and pulled out fresh dressings along with the stuff that she applied the night before. She also pulled out her vial of murky liquid and grabbed the pitcher of water and brought it over. She looked at Dean who was holding his shirt up and not looking at her. “Dean, don’t be embarrassed please? I know you don’t mean it.”

“Oh believe me you want me to be embarrassed Angie. I could get away with an Amazon chick comment maybe but believe me…”

Angela was still smiling. She knew that the last few days have been surprising for the boys. Her choice in wardrobe today was probably over the top. However it just felt right especially since Hakim gave back her chakram last night. She was surprised he had kept it all that time. It certainly surprised those douches when he threw it at them and she managed to catch it. She replied, “Well believe me I’ve seen warrior wardrobes that are a lot less than this. At least I have my prudish modesty.” She gave a slight chuckle.

“I just never thought you to be the kind to wear leather and formfitting gear.”

 “Dean, I have shirts that fit.”

“T-shirts and not to mention jackets,” Dean countered as he watched her apply a fresh dressing. He paid attention to what she was using instead of her face but it was hard to ignore the fact that she wore leather gauntlets with a scroll like pattern and gave her hands a toughened look.

Angela was enjoying this too much. It was always entertainment to get Dean flustered but she knew he had suffered enough. She replied, “Dean, I can’t change you and I don’t want to. If I did, then you wouldn’t be you and that would be disappointment. Relax.” She bowed her head to try to catch his eye. “Don’t be the bashful teenager like you were with that wendigo.”

Dean looked up at that. Nah it couldn’t be. “You weren’t there. It was a red head with blue eyes.”

“A perk of being as old as I am. You learn how to blend in,” Angela replied glad that he was looking at her in the eye finally.

Dean peered at her. He imagined her with red hair and blue eyes. “Damn Angie. I thought you were good with the blonde southern girl look but…” Suddenly it didn’t seem so important about what she had chosen to wear. He couldn’t help but give his usual smirk with her.

“That’s better,” Angela replied smiling. She mixed something in a glass of water and held it out to Dean. “Now drink this.”

Dean held the glass. He recognized it as the stuff she gave to Sam the night before. “It looks like it came out of a sewer.”

“Yet it tastes better.”

Dean gave Angela a suspicious look. “Is this payback for one of my blackmail pics?”

“No. Just drink it.” Angela watched as Dean hesitated. She gave a humor laden smile and added, “It’s just something to help a bit. It’s like Gatorade only not as colorful or sugar laden. Then again it could probably be similar to that energy drink Red Bull but not chock full of sugar. It’s all natural. Happy now?”

Dean looked at Angela and then the glass. Sam had downed his and nothing bad happened except maybe the urge to do nothing but research. “Alright. Bottoms up.” He downed the liquid in like he would whiskey and found out, like Sam, that it tasted like water. He looked at Angela.

Angela smiled and said, “Good. Now you’re all set. Just waiting on the old man and the headliner.” She sort of shouted it towards the room the three men shared in order to tease them out. She listened and grinned as she heard Bobby grumble.

“Who are ya calling old?”

“Be careful, Bobby,” Angela replied as Bobby came out looking like he always did complete with trucker hat. “You know there is a warning when it comes to mentioning women and their age.”

Bobby gave more of a growl at her with a mock scowl. “Bah, you ain’t one of those and you know it.” He took in Angela’s appearance and didn’t bat an eye. He figured that she would be wearing something that would fit right in. At least it was more decent than what he had seen previously with some of the female competitors. “Well you look ready to start a fight.”

“Ladies don’t start fights but they do finish them.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh at that. Angela was a lady but she did start fights and finished them in one sitting. “You’re the exception, Angie.”

“And I am so pleased that you finally stopped being a blushing school boy,” Angela replied with a smirk. She gave a slight pat to Dean’s cheek and added, “Because I prefer the witty humor and cheesy pickup lines.”

“Just you wait Angie,” Dean replied indicating that he was going to pay her back for her jokes. He put the glass he had been drinking from down and put on his jacket. “Well I’m ready to go. Bobby and I can head on over. I don’t want to wait for the princess.”

“Bite me, jerk!” Sam’s muffled voice sounded from the room.

“Back at ya, bitch,” Dean retorted. He looked at Angela confident that his initial lewd thoughts were under control. “See ya later Angie.”

Angela smiled glad that she got Dean’s mind off of his embarrassment. She watched as he left, followed by Bobby after the older hunter paused to give her a peck on the cheek and grumble about good luck. She shook her head with a smile in a better mood than she was the night before after dealing with Lykos’ goons. She knew they were his but she could hardly make an accusation without proper evidence. As she explained to Sam the night before, it was part and parcel of the honor code thing.

Sam waited until Dean left to come out. It wasn’t that he was being a princess as Dean would put it. If he stopped to completely examine things, he would have been surprised by his reasons. Mostly though it was about wishing good luck and the like. He came out with his shirt unbuttoned and it looked like he was fumbling with the buttons on it.

He stopped when he saw Angela mixing something, more of that muddy water stuff, and he studied what she was wearing. The first thought was that Dean probably had lewd thoughts though Sam really couldn’t see how that would be since it was nothing to incite those kinds of thoughts but then again it was Dean. He did have to admit that it was something to see the toned muscles of her arms moving as she worked even though it was interrupted slightly by the band around her upper arm and it had the same scrollwork his shirt did. “Nice outfit.”

“Glad you joined the world of the living.”

“Very funny,” Sam replied as he frowned when she handed him the glass. “Seriously?”

Angela shrugged. “You drank it yesterday and didn’t have a problem and neither did Dean. It’s like Gatorade or Red Bull, just without the sugar crap. It’s natural.”

Sam sucked it up and downed the glass. It wasn’t any use arguing over it and he had a pretty good idea why she had him drink it. “Fine.”

Angela chuckled as she put everything away. She then walked over to where her sword and chakram were waiting. She put her chakram on and was in the middle of strapping Absolution to her back when it didn’t quite sit right. She frowned since it had been a long time since she had slung it on wearing this. She didn’t struggle long since she felt the weight shift and it slid into place. Turning she saw that Sam had done it. “Thanks.”

Sam shrugged his shoulders and gave a slight rotation to his right since it was just a little sore. At Angela’s look he replied, “Just a little sore but good.”

“Alright,” Angela replied nodding. She adjusted the shoulder guards on her shoulders and then the arm bands. When she was finished she picked up the last thing and with a slight hesitation.

It was her scarf with the copy of her tattoo. She was well aware that in her current state of dress, it was partially visible and that couldn’t be helped. She didn’t have to wear it since she wasn’t appearing before the higher powers or anything like that. Still it was a formal thing and it was to honor Hapi and Satet and the blessing of the Nile for the annual flooding. Hell at the end of the tournament was a feast to commemorate the flooding.

Angela studied it and felt the material before wrapping it around her neck. She adjusted it so that the ends hung down her back and gave the slight appearance of a cape. The ends flared out and her symbol was visible. At least she didn’t have to wear it on her waist anymore like a sash. That could have worked too. Thinking nothing of it, she whirled and with her foot kicked up the staff still bearing the traces of her crimson sash from yesterday, caught it and handed it to Sam.

Sam watched the whole thing and recognized the scarf. He hadn’t noticed the patterns from before and made the connection that it looked like her tattoo. When she picked up the staff and handed it to him, he said, “Show off,” and grinned.

“A little trick,” Angela replied with a smirk as she buttoned the last two buttons on the shirt. “Come on before Hakim sends a squad after me.” She turned Sam around and gave a friendly push out the door.

“I take it you have everything worked out from the night before?”

“It will all work out Sam,” Angela replied as they walked through the halls. “We need evidence and Jason may be able to help in that department. Somehow I get the feeling all the answers will be revealed today.”

“No pressure on you,” Sam replied. He glanced at her and then explained, “I read about the exhibition. It’s considered the most important next to the actual championship. The whole how the two gods meet and…”

“I remember, Sam,” Angela replied. She could hear the noise of the arena. They were getting close and she prepared herself mentally for any and all comments. “The nice thing is that the crowd doesn’t expect a reenactment. So anything goes.”

“You plan on using that chakram? You know, I’m surprised Dean hasn’t said anything much about…”

“That because I set him straight.” Angela instinctively ran her fingers on the weapon at her hip. It had been a long time. “It was a gift from the captain of the guards of a prince or maharajah or whatever the term is. I was in India around the time of the 1700s and, don’t laugh, I fought against the Kali cult. The captain showed me how to use it and I became quite good at it and he presented me with my own. I gave it to Hakim when I moved on after training him; sort of like a remembrance thing. Last night, he gave it back.”

Sam raised a slight brow. “Well at least Dean isn’t around to make any comments. Still… It suits you.” It was lame but there was no way to describe it. He had seen her hold it and then when she threw it; even if she hadn’t used it in a long time, it was like it was second nature to her. “And you did once say that the Centurion warriors train in all sorts of weapons.”

Angela smirked, “You seem to remember everything I say, don’t you?”

Sam was saved from answering since they had arrived in the hall where they were supposed to be. He became aware of a slight hush and warriors turned to look at his direction though he knew they were looking at Angela. They stared and he waited for a signal from her to start moving since he had no idea what they intended.

“It seems that Absolution decided to join us,” Jason called above the deafening silence. “Welcome.”

That seemed to work and the crowd began to murmur and warriors whispered between one another and pointed at her. Angela ignored it as she walked forward. To Sam the crowd seemed to part like the Red Sea. He was joined by Jason who stood beside him and they walked behind her. At one point Sam thought he heard someone whisper about him and notice someone pointing at his shirt and then at Angela.

“Well we finally meet, Absolution,” a rather muscular and tall warrior appeared. He was an older warrior with greying hair but he still had the strength and speed of one in his youth. He had a beard starting and it was grizzled and was the same color as his hair. He held out his hand towards Angela and waited for her to respond.

Sam thought it was an ancient version of Bobby except this guy looked like he had kept up the heavy lifting of a twenty year old. The hair was long and swept back into a pony tail of sorts and he looked like something out of a Scandinavian painting with the fur cloak on his shoulders. He said nothing though as he watched Angela respond by gripping the guy’s wrist with her hand. She replied, “It is an honor to meet you at last Theron. Much has been spoken about you.”

“Only the good parts I hope,” the older warrior chuckled. He glanced at Angela’s wrist and commented, “I see that in addition to your reputation, you have been blessed by the tribe of Lwazi.”

“Tis a gift and one given by a warrior of the tribe,” Angela responded in kind.

Theron gave a slight chuckle. “Well met. I look forward to meeting you on the field. Your pupil has been most impressive which is why I see that he had been given the sigils. Good luck to you both.” Theron then took his leave and headed to where he was going to watch and wait. He paused only long enough to nod at Jason and then moved his way through the crowd.

That started tongues wagging as Angela started making her way to where they were supposed to be. She ignored it though as she thought about what had just happened. It was customary for ‘Hapi’ and ‘Satet’ to greet each other before the start of the matches. However, Angela felt disconcerted and it started when she touched Theron’s hand.

She knew Theron to be a good warrior; honest, loyal and true. However something was not right with the older warrior. It was like he was hiding something. She didn’t receive a vision but rather a feeling. She debated about saying anything to Sam but she decided he had enough to worry about. He would be going up against opponents that were going to be nothing like what he fought against yesterday. She noticed Lykos lurking in the corner, watching her with a smirk as if he knew his brother couldn’t come to her rescue now since he had been defeated by Wosret. It was going to be an interesting day.

****

Haley felt dirty that she was keeping a secret but as Lwazi explained, it was for protection from others who would likewise try to exploit it before her friend was ready. Haley also felt bad that she may have added to the burden by giving her the bracelet. She had explained to Lwazi what occurred when he commented upon seeing it and the old man nodded in understanding and told her that she made her choice because she thought it right. Burdens as chosen ones were hard to bear.

Haley knew what her friend felt like since she had been chosen to guard the piece of the seal. It was her job to hide it and protect it. For her friend her job encompassed more than protection but still the feeling was understood. This burden though she would gladly bear now that she knew. As she told the old man, she would protect the protector until she understood her role better, maybe not completely but better.

She traversed the halls and found her bodyguard. As a joke she persuaded him to enter the tournament. He agreed and did well and actually lost to Sam and he said it was an honor. Haley didn’t quite understand what he meant since Nephilim had their own lore and stories but she took it as it was. She then asked him to deliver a message to Dean and to follow the instructions she had written down for him. She was pushing it since he took his guardian duties seriously but he willingly did it stating that She was pushing it since he took his guardian duties seriously but he willingly did it stating that she was a friend of Absolution and it was an honor to serve a friend.

Now she was waiting to see if Dean would show up. She was waiting in the same area she had met the archangel the day before. It was well hidden and they could go and snoop for the time being. Since Lwzai and Yi Xiang were on Hakim’s side, she had to find out what the others were up to.

“I see that you want to commandeer my lookout.” The words were accompanied by the familiar flapping of wings.

Haley turned to see Gabriel leaning against the door frame wearing a devil may care expression. She replied, “It was convenient.”

“So it seems,” Gabriel responded as he righted himself. He walked over to the window to take a peek. She hadn’t come out yet. Hell not even the heads had come out. “So I take it that you are either here to talk to me or you are meeting someone and planning to go on a little excursion. Now considering I’m the ass I am going to say that it’s not my charming personality but a job you want to do.”

“I can see that you haven’t changed since we last met,” Haley replied. “So to answer your question: yes. I am waiting for someone.”

Gabriel gave a laughing smirk as he turned to look out the window of his hiding spot. Hapi and Satet were around somewhere. They knew the score too. Overall Hakim was in charge and unless he said the words, mommy and daddy couldn’t interfere. Maybe he was reading too much into it but since his girl decided that what made her unique was worth giving up just to be granted a hearing, he wanted to make sure that she was all right. That she had her abilities back didn’t matter in the least especially if there was a plot against her and Hakim and the other heads. He replied, “I don’t have to guess. If anything Deano would probably be on his way.”

Haley didn’t flinch. She wasn’t going to bother about asking how the angel knew. He told her as much that he was the one that played tricks on them. One thing she loved about Dean was his storytelling. True he did embellish a few things but he was a good storyteller. He would have been the life of the party if he were before her tribe. One of the stories happened to be when they first met the Trickster and what he did at some university. It was funny but not funny since people did die with those tricks. She wondered if her friend knew about that.

She looked out the window with the archangel and then up at him and replied, “I asked for help yes. Since he is the only hunter I know that I can trust, he was the best choice.”

“That I don’t doubt. Those two numbskulls are good at what they do and have become better since my girl joined with them. Still Sammy boy needs to have a little lesson. I’m hoping he figures it out before it’s too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Gabriel replied. For good measure he put a tiny bit of his power into his words. It was enough for Haley to see a slight flicker in his eyes. “Just do what you need to do about this.”

Haley saw the look of power. She suspected that the archangel was planning a trick but he didn’t come right out and say it. She replied, “I am doing what I need to do. I am curious as to why you think Sam is worth your trouble.”

Gabriel gave a short laugh. “I don’t think so sister. You’re good with the questions but there are some things that even I won’t blab. That is for me to know and I am leaving it at that. Don’t try to warn them either. They probably won’t believe much of what you say. I know Dean doesn’t.”

Haley resented that and couldn’t help but ask, “And why wouldn’t he believe a word I say?”

“He’ll believe you are telling the truth but he won’t believe the words. Deano doesn’t think my kind exist and that’s not about to change for now. Even my girl won’t say anything and mostly because she is pissed at me and the rest of us feathered asses.”

“If you apologized, she wouldn’t be pissed.”

Gabriel had to laugh. Humans did make him laugh on occasion with the things that they said and the things that they did. “Seriously? It’s complicated little witch. There are things that are way too complicated and it is done in the name of good and protection.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You do since you now know what is at stake. That is why you are here and why you are recruiting Deano to help you. The old guy might be willing to help too but I think there is a reason you asked specifically for Dean,” Gabriel pointed out.

“Maybe I did. The point though is to prevent whatever is planned to happen not to happen.”

“I wish you luck on that.”

Haley was going to reply when there was a knock on the door. She turned to look at the door and then back at the archangel only to find him gone. She walked to the door and peered around the edge. She saw Dean standing there wondering what the hell was going on. “Glad you could come, Dean.”

“You said it was important.”

“It is,” Haley replied and she started leading Dean down the hall.

Gabriel watched as the pair left. He had become invisible the second he heard Dean knock. No way now was he going to get into a piss match with him. They had to do what they had to do and he hoped they stopped it. He turned to look out the window and found himself wishing the pair good luck.


	17. Chapter 17

“So let me get this straight: we are going to do some B&E into the quarters of the heads?” Dean looked at Haley as he stopped her in the middle of an empty hall.

Haley was not one to beat around the bush. She was blunt out of necessity. “Yes.”

Dean wasn’t pissed; he was curious and more or less surprised that Haley was into the things that he and Sam did out of necessity for a job. However it did come as a surprise when a guy that could have given feather boy a run for his money in being the strong silent type showed up and handed him a piece of paper. He read it and told Bobby that he had to go.

Bobby tried to get out where he was going. Dean just handed the slip of paper to him and told him to stay there. Of course Bobby called him an idjit and grumbled about being told what to do. Dean knew though that Bobby would stay put and keep an eye on things. Hell Dean knew that Bobby wanted to watch Angela do her thing. He and Sam got to see it almost every damn day though he was impressed when she held that cha… cha… whatever.

Dean found Haley where she said she would be and she immediately asked for help in an investigation. He had to admit that this was beyond what he and Sam did on the job but then again they weren’t exactly researching on what the thing is. Hell they were surrounded by things that tried to pass for humans and he was sure that there were a couple of witches in the lot besides Chasers and that douche Lykos that were competing in this thing.

What Haley suggested was sneaking around and looking for hints of which of the heads that were not accounted for were responsible for the incident at the gala. Dean also thought that it might give an idea if this Lykos douche was working alone or not. He suspected he had backing from someone especially with all that babble about the loopholes in the neutrality clause. He replied to Haley, “Okay so who do you want to start with?”

Haley paused in the corridor they were in and began looking around. “First things first, Dean.”

Dean looked in the direction Haley was looking trying to figure out what she was looking for. He looked down the corridor in both directions and instantly thought about that maze he was a part of and wondered about how Sam felt going through it. On his end he felt like a trapped rat. He shuddered inwardly as his mind drifted to those creepy, ugly, furry things crawling through things like… Dean looked up and spotted a hole like thing. As far as he knew, the only modern things that he had seen in this place were running water aka good plumbing. Most everything else looked like it belonged in a different time. But what if…

Dean nudged Haley and pointed at it. “It that a vent or something?”

Haley peered at what Dean was pointing at and replied, “Interesting. Maybe so. I heard stories of tournament locations having secret tunnels and access ways. Many of the sites were old so it is possible.”

“You know the layout?”

“I know the floor plan,” Haley replied, “Not the vent, if that is what it could be called.”

Dean was a little disappointed at that but then again no one could expect to know everything. Still if it was what passed for a vent, they could get through virtually unseen. The downside was that they could end up going in circles. There was little choice though. “Well we can Mission Impossible it.”

Haley looked at Dean with a puzzled look. She had no idea what he was talking about until it dawned on her that he was using movie references again. His favorite seemed to be what they called the classics. “Um… okay.”

Dean said nothing about Haley’s confusion and positioned his hands to give her a lift up. He knew how nimble she was and she held up. She put one foot in his hands and with little effort on his part, she was up and into the hole. Dean took his turn and actually was able to run up the wall since it was sloped slightly. Haley grabbed his arms and pulled him in just before a guard walked by.

Dean crawled on his hands and knees and looked around. The vents were big enough so that he didn’t have to crawl on his stomach. He was able to sit hunched over on his heels and get a good look around. He glanced and could barely make out Haley who was muttering something to her hand. Suddenly there was a light that appeared in what looked like one of those scrying crystals witches used. He asked, “So you gonna light the way?”

Haley grinned in return as she tossed the crystal which came on a lanyard at Dean. “No dice, Ace. Now if I remember correctly if we keep parallel to the hall, we’ll be heading in the right direction.” She motioned at Dean that he was to lead the way and she did it with a teasing smile.

“Alright let’s MI6 this.” Dean started in the direction Haley suggested after putting the crystal on his neck. The crystal gave off enough light so that he wasn’t going to hit his head on anything but not enough to be noticed if they happened to pass an opening into a hall or something. It was rather interesting to have a witch on his side for once.

It was hard to tell how long they were in there and Dean was thinking that maybe they were on a wild goose chase. He said, “Are you sure about this Hale?”

“If not one of the other heads, than who? They stand to lose a lot.”

“Hale, there has only been one guy after us. Well Angie thinks it’s one guy and it’s that Lykos douche. He’s the only one who sent guys after us.”

“And why do you think that is?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I don’t know. Angie does good things and sometimes they piss people off. It ain’t the first time.”

Haley had to concede to that. “That’s true but not in this case. There is a reason why Lykos would risk war and the other consequences for breaking neutrality. Any one of the other heads would latch onto it because of his goal.”

Dean was going to ask what Haley meant when he heard muffled voices. They were in the direction of the heads’ quarters. He signaled Haley to follow and he slunk forward until he found a grating over the entrance but he could see clearly into the room.

It was obvious that it belonged to one of the heads. He had seen Yi Xiang’s room and noted the tendency to have fancy stuff in there from their part of the world. He peered but it was hard to make out exactly the type of furniture but that wasn’t what really interested him. What interested him was the voices and what they were saying.

“It was stupid of you to make that attempt last night, Lykos.”

“I had no clue that the brat head was going to invoke his heritage rights. Still it was worth the attempt. Anything to show you the capabilities of my sweet.”

Dean frowned at Lykos’ reference to Angela. _She is not your sweet assphat._ Sam didn’t say much about when he rescued Angela but he got the general picture. He wanted to rip the guy’s lungs out. He stilled his breathing as he continued to listen. He made room so that Haley could listen without her having to tap his arm.

“I am well aware of Absolution’s reputation as a warrior,” the voice was saying in a thick European accent. “What I am interested in is her ability to rally forces.”

Lykos’ voice could be heard, “She can inspire. I have seen it myself. Trouble is she won’t do it for the heck of it. She’s too much like my gentle giant of a brother.” There was a clink and the pouring of liquid. “Though I think there are alternative means of persuasion.”

The cultured voice replied, “If it is true that Absolution is the one to create a united front, then she is a valuable commodity. There would be leaders who would love to have her loyalty. Though probably she is more of a threat because she can inspire loyalty so I suppose there is a permanent ending solution to that.”

“That option is not on the table.”

“Pray remind me why you convinced me in this partnership, Lykos.”

“It’s simple and will be proof about the century old theory that has been in dispute.”

“ **That** theory?” The voice then began to laugh. “You really did ensnare me with that one didn’t you?”

“Call it what you like.”

“Now I know why I like you so much. Now I know Absolution is looking for evidence against you. So let’s turn the tables on her. I am sure she forgot the methods of surveillance that is not this modern age thing. The trick is all in the timing.”

“Right. In front of everyone after the two finalists are chosen and before the exhibition…”

“Yes though I think Hakim is going to surprise us again so we must be ready for this. It must be at the moment when the ‘virtues and deeds’ of each warrior is listed that we must act.”

Then the voices seemed to get lower. Dean strained to hear what it was that they were talking about. So someone did want to bring war and they were going to use Angela to do it. Great. Why did everyone think that they had to get her? No wonder she never spoke much about her past to him or Sam and frankly Dean couldn’t blame her. It made him regretful even more that he had said things that made her leave. He glanced at Haley and could tell that she was trying to hear what was going on.

Suddenly the grate fell open and two arms reached on and grabbed Dean and Haley and yanked them out. Dean had been too startled to react as well as he would like. However, he did manage to fling a fist as he tried to get out of the grip that he had been grabbed in. He felt his body flung to the ground and Haley’s body on top of his. At least she wasn’t going to feel this as much as he was.

“I told you I could smell humans,” Lykos said as he stood behind the two. He then paced and walked until he was in front of them. He didn’t recognize the bitch but the other. He gave a grin and said, “Now I never thought that we would meet again. I figured you would be spending more time trying to keep that overgrown boy from doing anything foolish.”

Dean pulled a pissed face, his version of Sam’s bitch face, and said, “Sam can handle his own.”

“Oh yes after he had us all laughing by running,” Lykos retorted.

“Me and Sam don’t run.”

“Brave words. I’ve heard them before from partners and siblings who have passed through my tournament halls since long before you even heard of it,” the cultured voice replied.

Dean looked around at the source and found that it was coming from a shadowy end where there appeared to be one of those big desks that CEOs liked. He replied, “Yeah well we’ve been learning quite a bit in that department.”

“I suppose you would, considering that Absolution is your babysitter. She would know about this and probably manipulated the situation so that she had an excuse to come here again.”

“Angie isn’t like that bitch,” Dean retorted, not caring if he was talking to someone that was probably a head of a family.

“And how certain are you of that? Have you actually read the stories of Absolution? Have you heard of near impossible feats done at the cost of lives? How much do you really know of the one who is teacher to your brother?”

Dean glanced at the figure. True he was often curious as to why some of these warrior guys made a big deal about Sam being trained by Angela. She never said anything except to say that they were friends but then again that was Angela. She didn’t really offer details as if she were shy about it or maybe ashamed of it. What he did know was that she did everything she could to make sure that people weren’t put at risk. Hell she had him pull alongside a Shelby driving at neck breaking speeds just so she could get the kid out. She put herself at risk first and even Sam said that she tried to get him out of this fight. Dean looked back up at the figure and replied, “I know plenty. She’s not like that.”

There came a chuckle. “I see she already inspired loyalty from you. I am curious as to how she does it.”

“Because she ain’t a bitch like you. Now why don’t you show yourself or are you afraid of a human?”

The chuckle came again and the figure came out and stood in front of Dean. She gave a saucy and mocking grin, “There. Are you happy now?”

Haley couldn’t help but gasp, “Lady Davenport?”

“Oh yes little witch bitch,” Lady Davenport replied. “You see Hakim has a good idea but when you have business opportunities tied up with the annual flooding, there is money to be made and a lot of it and it has worked out immensely.”

“So you’re willing to start a fight over money? Typical,” Dean muttered. “So what does Angie have to do with it? Something about her ability to inspire troops or something?”

“I see the GED works for most humans,” Lady Davenport replied. “Oh I know about you and Sam. Once I learned that Absolution wasn’t competing, I made it my business to find out who it was she was sponsoring. After that it was easy to put two and two together. Who knew that she would hook up with the Winchester brothers?”

“Yeah who knew?”

“Lady Davenport, why are you doing this? You know you are risking war,” Haley interrupted. She heard of the famous biting tones of Lady Davenport and they could wear down even the toughest of men.

“Inspiring the level of loyalty that Absolution does is something that most would kill for,” Lady Davenport replied, “However how much of it is personality and how much of it is in the blood? Absolution is an anomaly; a Halfling with the blood of the bloodsuckers and the blood of humans. They were an accident, their kind. A Halfling wielding the sword that is supposed to bring Absolution. Now I can see where that would cause alarm among the more purer of the species that exist and even to some crazy hunters but the fact that she was chosen indicates that there is power within the blood.”

“A fluke if anything,” Haley countered. “That theory was only started because of a few exceptional individuals.”

“Which is why I aim to put it to the test,” Lykos replied. “She won’t refuse me. Trying by force was my mistake but maybe bribery will. If I know one thing, she would risk herself before anything she cares about.”

“Not a chance assphat. Sam and I won’t let you,” Dean retorted. He may have a GED but he could guess what the asshole had tried to do before. Sam didn’t have to say it out loud and he heard the implications.

Haley added, “She wouldn’t do it. I know about that incident in Greece. You think she is receptive to rapist?”

Lykos lost his temper and gave a backhand to Haley’s face. That sparked a reaction in Dean, who leapt up and tried to tackle Lykos. It was stupid since he still had that gunshot wound that was still healing but his temper was up. He managed to get his hands on him but it didn’t last long. He gave a punch but then something hit him hard on the back of the head and he fell forward and hit the deck with a hard thud.

Lykos stood up and dusted himself off. “And I thought the boy giant was a problem. Seems like the midget is a scrapper.” He looked at Lady Davenport, “What do you want me to do with them? They know everything and could tell…”

“We can’t kill them,” Lady Davenport replied, “Lwazi will be up in arms and Absolution will more likely be after us. It won’t matter if she has evidence and my old advisor told me that she has a fierce temper.”

“I could have told you that,” Lykos retorted. “So what do you want me to do?”

Lady Davenport moved to stand over Dean who was groaning in pain. Haley had her hands on him as if to look him over. “Put them where I keep things that could spoil things. They shouldn’t be able to cause any trouble there.” She paused to look at her watch and then towards one of the windows. “Well we better get moving. Otherwise people will start to get impatient about the delay. I do hope that Hakim considered the idea that was suggested yesterday. It would get you your wish since I don’t doubt little Sammy will win.”

“It will happen though it would take some convincing on Lycan’s part.”

“There is the other option.”

“Right.”

They said no more and Haley found herself being hauled to her feet and a gag slipped into her mouth. Her arms were free so the intent was to make sure that they didn’t make noise wherever they were going. She looked down at Dean who two other goons were hauling up. He was out of it so she was going to have to try something. It was risky but she had been practicing.

When they were in a hall and without warning Haley let loose the energy she had built up in her hands and managed to knock her captors away. She knew that she caused an uproar and as much as she wanted to help Dean, she knew that she couldn’t. She needed help and she could get that from Aaron and Dean’s friend Bobby.

She took off running, shooting spells behind her at her pursuers. She wasn’t sure if they hit but if she got into an area where there were witnesses, she would be in the clear. She rounded a corners and she felt her feet fly out from under her. She hit the ground hard and felt the scrapes on her forearms.

“Very impressive little witch,” Lykos replied as he came out of his hiding spot. He suspected the witch would try something. “I have heard of your mother’s people’s abilities. Too bad you didn’t inherit any of it. You would have been a worthy opponent.”

Haley rubbed her forearms as she looked up at Lykos. She was then hauled to her feet by the two who initially grabbed her. She replied, “I know plenty. I know that you are a disgrace.”

“Can’t you see what I am trying to do? Even you couldn’t have ignored the prophecies,” Lykos countered.

“I read them but it’s wrong… especially if something else was meant to be,” Haley replied. It was probably foolish to say anything but she couldn’t believe that Lykos would attempt this.

“Are you saying that someone else is supposed to be the one?” Lykos looked Haley in the eye. “If you know who it is, tell me and I’ll promise that I won’t kill him. I will only want to string him up.”

Haley narrowed her eyes. No way would she say anything about what she had observed previously. “You really are stupid. You tempt with fate and the natural order.”

“Oh and they weren’t when the happy accidents were discovered?”

“It was wrong when the results were discovered. The Halflings born today are lucky that Kuran set the precedent of Halflings in general,” Haley replied.

“Of course they are very useful. However by taking the best of all the races, it is the future,” Lykos replied. He then motioned for his men to take Haley away.

Haley didn’t struggle this time. It was futile at this point. She let them drag her down a hall that she had never seen before or remembered from past floor plans. It had her wondering a bit about Hakim but she dismissed it as absurd. Lady Davenport was a head of a family and she would be just as familiar too.

Haley found herself taken to a room that looked like it once was a storage unit. She was flung in without ceremony and the door was shut. She looked around for Dean and found that he had been dropped on the ground and he was semi-conscious. She ignored the door since the lock had long since clicked into place. She instead turned her focus to Dean.

She kneeled and examined his head. She felt a slight stickiness coming from the back of his head and found blood on her hand. She peered at the wound and saw that it was superficial at best but it hit him in the right spot to knock him out. “Dean did you have to be so impulsive?”

She wasn’t expecting an answer but it did surprise her when she heard him say, “I have a thing about douches hitting girls.”

“And what would Angela say?”

“I’d do it anyway.” Dean managed to clear his head enough. Peering into the darkness he looked around. He slowly sat up to get a better look around. He ended up wincing slightly and put a hand to his abdomen. He peered down to look while ignoring the dull throb from his head. That could be taken care of later.

Haley noticed and was quick to take a look. There was a dressing and there was a tiny red spot. She looked up and saw that Dean was peering at it and looked like he was going to curse a little. She asked, “Fight?”

“Something like that. Damn, Angie’s gonna be pissed.”

Haley gave a tolerant smile. “I don’t think so. I dragged you into this.”

Dean couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew that Angela would be more pissed at the ass hat that knocked him out. She didn’t like people getting hurt on her account. Hunts were different. He checked and saw that it was minor. It would stop soon. “I’m all right. Hale where are we?”

Haley looked around, “I’m not sure. I thought I knew this floor plan but it must be different. It looks like some storage place.”

“And you would be right,” a new voice entered sounding familiar to both.

Haley and Dean turned towards the voice. Dean asked, “Okay so we know where we are somewhat. Do you mind telling us who you are?”

The owner of the voice stepped out of the shadows. It thoroughly surprised both Haley and Dean as the owner said, “Well you have the pleasure of meeting Lady Davenport. **I** am the head of the family of Europe.”


	18. Chapter 18

Jason looked around at the crowds developing where the junction was. It was tradition for the warriors to gather and chit chat. Mostly it was to greet and wish luck, make plans for after the tournament or go over previous fights and share a good joke. That tradition hadn’t changed much over the centuries but he was anxious. He had heard the whispers.

The whispers were about the exhibition and the fighters involved. He had heard the whispers about her. They were saying that she was going to be in the exhibition. Some were speculation on whether or not she would have her signature weapon. Other speculation was on what her colors would be. Jason knew exactly what it was going to be. He had seen it the night before.

He had gone to see Hakim in regards to security. He had been asked by the young head to check after the pre-tournament reception and he accepted. He was competing but it didn’t hurt to check. Most thought him to be a young gun but he proved them wrong and he was glad that for once he wasn’t as famous as she was. When he arrived in the middle of a fight, it was second nature to join in. It was there that he saw her use a weapon he had never seen her use before.

Hakim used it first but she caught it. It was heading straight towards her from behind but it was like she knew it. She twisted and grabbed it with a firm grip. She used it with her fists and ended up subduing the leader and demanded who was behind it. That was when the guy dropped a hint about cooperating or something bad would happen to her friends.

Jason saw the flux of emotions but she was calm as she came up with a plan. That was when Wosret arrived. She offered her help and it was taken. The young goddess went to buy time while the set up was put into place. They had the punks in a holding cell until afterwards. Since Hakim had used his rights as head of his family, nothing serious was going to happen. That didn’t ease things though. It only made Hakim sure that something was going on.

Jason thought so too. It was confirmed when he had a visit from a visitor. He knew the visitor very well since they had talked previously. It was mostly talking about stories of what he did and what he last was on. He couldn’t really well lie since his visitor knew about them and seemed to know about what he was going to do but wouldn’t indulge. Last night though was different…

_Jason was in his quarters being diligent. He didn’t know if word got back to the leader of the goons that he was there. Most thought of him not worth the trouble since they thought he was already dead and technically in this century he was. Still it paid to be careful. As he was looking around he heard the telltale sound of his visitor. It was followed by, “Ya know for a supposed dead guy, you fight very good.”_

_Jason turned to see his visitor and somewhat friend but more like an acquaintance. He gave a wry smile and replied, “I guess the dead are useful after all. So what brings you here?”_

_“I just want to thank you for jumping in when you did. You’ve been a good friend to my girl. She has too few of those.”_

_“I’m not sure you should call her your girl especially with the company she keeps these days.”_

_“I don’t mean it like that and you know it.”_

_“Alright I get it,” Jason replied as he looked at his guest. He knew exactly what was meant. He felt the same way. “So what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden appearance? Come to check up on her?”_

_“Sort of my job though I do have a little bro who is ‘officially’ the one in that department. I suppose you know about the restrictions placed upon my kind?”_

_“Yes. And?”_

_“Well you don’t need me to go into too much detail but I want to ask of you to play guard dog for my girl.”_

_Jason raised his brow. “Me? Protect her? She would just as soon as shout at me for playing her babysitter. Besides her pupil seems up to it in that department.”_

_“I noticed but all eyes will be on them… not you.”_

_Jason then understood. “So there is a plot?”_

_“To use her… both in her talents and her blood.”_

_“I’m not sure I understand the second part of that but I understand what you ask. I will keep an eye out. There is also another…” Jason made to suggest Lycan since it was no secret that he was devoted to her as well. He was willing to do anything if she asked it of him… well except for one thing._

_“But he won’t raise a hand against his brother. No but I do have a witch and a couple of hunters who would be better.” The visitor shuffled on his feet a little since it was difficult to find the words but he knew that it would be done. “Also a stubborn young goddess who will need to be kept an eye upon but I doubt it.”_

_“I see.”_

_“Oh and as a reward I offer you a way home.”_

_Jason looked at his visitor with an incredulous look. What did he know? Was it possible? “How…?”_

_The visitor gave a genuine smile, “She prays. Maybe not consciously but she prayed that she would find a way to send you back. I managed to find it and I can send you back to your time and place. Consider it a payment for services rendered.”_

_It was a miracle to Jason. It had been so long. However he had to say something, “I will do it but not because of the prospect of returning home but for her. It is for her and everything she has done in the name of good.”_

Jason thought about that conversation. His visitor gave a nod as if he approved. Well he was here doing it. He just prayed that she didn’t suspect anything but it was highly unlikely that she would say anything about it. Considering what was going on, his extra pair of eyes was probably most welcome.

He had been the one to announce her presence even though people were already staring and whispering and the pointing. Jason’s announcement cleared the path and it also set her up to meet with Theron. That went along quite smoothly and he stayed by Sam’s side just to prevent anything from happening since he thought he caught a glimpse of Lykos but it turned out to be Lycan.

Jason could tell that something was going on through her mind judging by the way she gripped Theron’s wrist and gave a shake. He had heard that the elder warrior was famous in his day. He was technically a hunter but had a unique brand of dress. He liked wearing the dress of warriors of the old like the Middle Ages even though Jason personally thought they looked more like clothing from home and that was another story entirely. He gave a wry grin at the thought of Theron being someone like him and just biding his time though it was absurd.

Jason suspected that maybe she was sizing up her opponent but he wasn’t sure. Still he kept and eye on things and tried to make out whether or not something was going on. He listened to the whispers and the comments while playing what his visitor called an enforcer. It really wasn’t that necessary since the crowds parted like waves and they made it to the floor without any trouble. Now it was the agonizing wait until the announcement was made by Hakim.

****

Hakim was nervous. The night before proved to be something that he hadn’t anticipated. True he had been trained to fight since he was a boy but it was different when you had to do it for real. He could give himself a pat on the shoulder for not freezing up at a critical moment and that was when he exercised his head of the family rights and disabled the neutrality walls. He also added a spell chant to give Absolution the ability to fight in any part of the building if it was to defend or to bring someone to justice.

Once it was down the fight had been on. She charged after using fire to distract. He went to where he kept his weapons and opened the drawer. He pulled out a sword and that was when he noticed it. At that time Jason joined in on the fray and he and Absolution were fighting back to back against these guys that didn’t seem to know when to quit. After a brief distraction, he turned to look at it.

It was hers. A gift from a captain of the guard of a principality in India. She called it a chakram even though he thought it looked like a piece of jewelry. She showed him how that was exactly how it was supposed to look; a deception. He was fascinated by it and nearly cut his finger when he tried to run it along the edge.

She demonstrated its use in the gardens and he had been fascinated by it. She indulged and taught him how to hold it and how to throw it. When she said that she had to move on, he begged her to stay in his life. She had become like family to him. She couldn’t stay though and at the time Hakim didn’t know why. He childishly told her that he was going to hate her for the rest of his life.

It was her laughing at him that got him to see how foolish he was. He laughed with her and was able to ask her why she had to go. She told him that she was searching for something and she found a lead and that it was important. Hakim had been old enough then to understand the implications of duty and reluctantly accepted it. She smiled at him and then removed her chakram from her belt and handed it to him. She told him that she trusted him to keep it safe until she came back for it. Hakim took that to mean that she would come back some day.

Well she did come back and Hakim knew that he had to give it back. He took it out and aimed like she taught him and sent it flying. How she knew it was coming towards her, he could only guess but she caught it and was able to do what she had to do. When she tried to give it back he had said, “You told me to keep it safe until you came back for it. You came back.”

Hakim smiled at the memory of the smile she gave as he overlooked the arena and at the spectators. Everyone was excited since today was the day that the celebrated exhibition would be held in honor of Hapi and Satet. That meant she would be showing everyone present her abilities and it was to be sort of a no holds barred. That meant both combatants could use anything in their arsenal and that meant her chakram… if she chose to use it.

Hakim glanced at the empty seat in the box. All of the heads were here except for Lady Davenport and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. He thought the woman to be insufferable since she was late yesterday too. She had this thing about being fashionably late whatever the hell that meant. Then she would sit through the whole thing and make snide comments at the fighters below even though she managed to make observations about Sam that were inappropriate.

Then there was the suggestion that Lwazi made after being prompted by Lady Davenport about the paired match. If that was to occur then he would have to rearrange the whole thing and put the exhibition last. Then again he could make a few changes without having to go down that route. He was still head of his family and he did have certain right s just as long as they stayed within the spirit of the tournament, especially what he was trying to do.

“I see that your thoughts are working early young Hakim,” Lwazi said.

Hakim gave a respectful nod, “Indeed. With tensions as they are, I believe a slight change is in order.”

“I see but, is it fair to announce it when one of our heads is not present?” Zahir replied as he sat cleaning his nails with a small dagger. He glanced over at Sr. de Valle who was drinking his usual café con leche that he always had. “If I’m not mistaken, Lady Davenport is missing. Do you know when she will be arriving?”

“Probably that fashionably late business,” Sr. de Valle replied taking a sip. “I personally think she does that on purpose since she likes to hear people talk about her.”

“Well they aren’t now since all I’ve heard on my way up here was about Absolution and that she was dressed to fight and blah, blah,” Zahir replied as he lounged in his chair. “Such beauty and prowess should be discussed.” He gave a slight smile.

Hakim was young but no fool. He knew that Zahir had a thing for beautiful women and it looked like Absolution ensnared his interest and without trying. He wouldn’t worry too much since she had dealt with his brother so she could deal with him. Right now there was the concern about Lady Davenport. He said, “My impression is that she will be late as usual and only then when all are present will I say anything.”

“That is so kind of you Hakim,” Lady Davenport said as she sauntered up the stairs and headed towards the seat that was hers. “Such a gift of the gods that one young such as you is able to uphold the oldest of traditions of this sacred charge we all have been charged with.”

Hakim bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything. He glanced at Lwazi and Yi Xiang who were looking at the woman with polite attention. He could only hope he would become that good when it came to dealing with others who were more likely two faced. He replied, “Tradition and honor weight heavily for my family. That is why I understood my father’s dream and aim to see it carried out which is why I have decided to make a few changes.”

“That is acceptable,” Yi Xiang nodded in agreement. “It is the discretion of the head of the hosting family to make any changes to the order. Change is good even though it is not easy.”

Hakim nodded at Yi Xiang. He had her approval. He looked at Lwazi. “What say you Lwazi?”

Lwazi straightened himself up. He knew what his response would be. He just felt that he had an obligation to lay out every possible choice. After all as a head, you carried such responsibility.  He replied, “Change is often associated with progress and from past dealings we all know that progress is not always a good thing. However progress is good if it relates to things that should not be forgotten. I am not saying that we should live in the past all the time but we must remember who we are as we continue to move forward. Therefore I am curious of what changes are to be made.” He looked up at Hakim and gave his nod of approval.

That was enough for Hakim. He always trusted the elder head’s judgment and he knew that his father had done the same. “Well said Lwazi. And what of you Zahir and Sr. de Valle?” He looked at the two that he considered the wild cards since they were known to sway either way. They were the perfect examples of looking out for best interests.

Zahir looked at Hakim and said, “Well I can say that what I have seen so far has been thrilling. It makes me wonder why and when things changed. I’m up for a little stirring in the pot.”

“Watching the competitors has reminded me the old tales of noble gentlemen and fighting for honor. I rather liked those tales and seeing the real life version had been exciting,” Sr. de Valle allowed.

Hakim nodded and he looked at Lady Davenport and said, “Well my lady, are you willing to endure one more change?”

Lady Davenport smiled. She knew that Hakim was clever. He had appealed to the ones who would have had a big influence before the others. Even she knew that they were content with just pleasing everybody and moving on to their own devices. Often they sided with the one with the clout. Still she could go along. After all, the plan was still in effect. She replied, “As Yi Xiang mentioned before, it is your right as head of the hosting family but it is appreciative that you seek our opinions before announcing. It goes to show that there is consideration still in effect.”

Hakim gave a polite smile. He knew that she could be a snake if she chose to be. He was certain that she was up to something. That was why he was going to make some changes. It was all part of a measure that he hoped wouldn’t bear fruit. He nodded and turned towards the audience to make his announcement.

****

“Hmm it looks like the boy head is making some changes love.”

Satet looked down and listened to Hakim say, “It has been tradition that the exhibition be held before the final match, however in the spirit of honoring those that have blessed the annual flooding, that will be shown last.”

Satet listened to the crowd in their response as Hakim gave his reasons. She nodded while making a slight face, “Well I never thought that he would revert to the old time festival line up. Then again it is his choice.”

Hapi had been watching the whole thing and thought it unusual at well but his full attention was elsewhere. He had spotted Absolution walking towards the ring with her pupil in tow. He was surprised to see the sigils on her but it made sense now as to why the boy was wearing them too. By law in terms of warriors, those sigils can only be given by someone who has received them. The reason for that was that they understood the implications of wearing such sigils and thus knew what to look for when they selected the one worthy to receive them.

It was a tradition that was an inspiration for ceremonies of awarding knighthoods and the like. Hapi was impressed at mortal ingenuity of keeping the ancient ways alive by changing them and modifying them. He had to admit though that probably most down there didn’t understand the full implications. More likely they thought of the sigils as Absolution’s standard. He replied, “Yes. He understands that such a change from what has been going on will bring about repercussions. He is preparing for such things.”

“Meaning that he could revert to the earliest days of the tournament.”

“In a way it keeps within the neutrality as well as keeps bloodshed down to a minimum,” Hapi replied. He looked up from his view and looked at his wife. He saw the worried look on her face. It was interesting.

They were both gods of war but they also were gods of fertility and life. That was the purpose of the tournament. It wasn’t about death but life. When the Ancients ran rampart, it was a means for mortals to fight and defend their world. However it didn’t mean that they had become bloodthirsty gods. There were a couple out there and it was enough and they were kept in balance by other authorities within the natural order.

Hapi realized that it was probably a flashback to those days for Satet and he remembered those days. She was a fearsome fighter. Wosret was more like her in that regard and he could understand her worry but he believed in their daughter. Stories said that she was the guardian of Horus but that was a bit stretching of the truth since it was Satet who guarded Horus once along with Hapi but everyone remembered the warrior goddess who could strike fear in the heart of her enemies. He replied, “I know you are thinking of those times.”

“Times were different then but the mortals haven’t changed.”

“I agree but there are quite a bit of good people out there and they do try.”

Satet sighed. She looked back down and she spotted Wosret walking to stand beside Absolution. She gave a slight smile as the two conversed in a side conversation. “It seems that Wosret has found a new friend.”

Hapi looked down and gave a slight chuckle. “It seems so love. I heard that Wosret was instrumental in helping Absolution since an attack was made on her companions.”

Satet looked at her husband to see if he was joking. When she realized that he wasn’t, she replied, “You mean that she actually engaged in a fight? And what of the neutrality laws? She was lucky she wasn’t punished.”

Hapi raised his hand to calm her down. He knew that she was getting excited and it could escalate into something that she would regret later. He replied, “She wasn’t punished because she followed the rules. You forget that there are exceptions.”

“What exceptions?”

“It’s the same reason Absolution’s student didn’t get punished,” Hapi pointed out. “It was in defense of someone in a precarious position. She was helping to defend them.”

Satet calmed down. She remembered that clause. When she spotted the boy called Sam leap to the defense of Absolution, she wondered why he hadn’t been struck by lightning or even suffered the wrath of the higher powers. It didn’t occur to her until Hapi mentioned it that it was one of the exceptions. Then there was the breaking of the wards in a particular area; a method that could only be done by a head of the family and it was the hosting family. “I think Absolution is clever.”

“I would have to hand it to the boy head too. Great risk was taken and now he is making sure that if something bad should happen, there is a way out.”

****

Crowley listened to the announcement. It was a surprise to him but it didn’t matter. Either way he was going to see Absolution perform. He was curious about what he was up against. Sure Cary the worm gave an account of what she did with Lenya, the little hell bitch princess, but that was a report. He wanted to see it. Plus it had been a long time since he had seen a tournament that really represented the true gist of honor. He had to laugh though since he was a demon and there were a few of them present there and honor was not exactly something they did.

He listened to the speech as he scoured the crowd. He was able to spot the old grizzled hunter that accompanied Absolution but not the hot tempered Dean. Something was wrong and he was certain of it. He called out a spell chant and there appeared Cary who asked, “Yes boss?”

Crowley ignored the fact that Cary called him boss. He rather liked it but he found it too American so to speak. Right now there was important business at hand. He replied, “Where is Dean Winchester?”

Cary peered into the crowd. “Um… I don’t know?”

“What is wrong with that?”

“That I haven’t been watching…”

“Making your usual deals when you had specific orders,” Crowley replied with a glare.

“He could be doing a bathroom break.”

“Idiot. If Dean Winchester is missing. That means that he stumbled across something that probably has to do with the tournament and Absolution. That could be bad for business.”

“You already have his soul.”

“Bargaining chip idiot. Now find Dean and get him back out on the playing field. If this tournament fails then we are all in a boiling pile of meat goo.” Crowley started to raise his voice a little. He could have sworn Cary was put on this earth to make his life miserable.

“How do I find him?”

“Find the little witch he hangs out with and if you can’t find her, find her bodyguard. He would be able to find her.”

Cary nodded, “Right away boss,” and he was gone.

Crowley took a sip of the wine that he had poured himself and looked at the landscape. It looked like they were about to get started with the first of the finals. He raised a brow at who was first up. _Well this should be interesting._


	19. Chapter 19

Sam leaned on his staff a little nervous at the whole thing. He was finally going up against the one who tried to goad him into a fight. He was twirling what looked like a staff cut in two. They were less wide than a staff so they could be gripped in the hand firmly. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who had a weapon with wood in it.

It hadn’t been too hard to make it down to the ring since Angela pretty much had to take a step forward and anyone in her way pretty much stepped aside. They even kept the part as he and Jason walked past. He could hear whispers as they walked by and they were mostly about Angela but they called her Absolution. While Angela explained it, it was taking some getting used to hearing her being called by the name of her sword.

He managed to catch up to her so they were side by side. At that moment, Sam became aware of some people hissing under their breath. He watched as Angela smoothed everything over by a nonverbal gesture. When they were out of earshot of the hissers, he asked, “Why were they looking like they were going to rip my liver out?”

“Hierarchy thing,” Angela explained, “I am the master and you are the student. In their eyes it is only proper that you walk behind me.”

Sam frowned at that. “Angie I walked beside you yesterday. Why are they getting in a funk now?”

Angela then grabbed the end of her scarf and showed Sam the end. Sam recognized the scarf from when he made a sling for her arm. What she was showing him was the end of it. Looking down, he saw the design. It was just like… “Is that your tattoo?”

“I see someone was peeking,” Angela teased in a whisper. She gave a slight chuckle and replied, “Yes it is. Consider this my standard. The reason people are actually giving a damn is because of this and the fact that the old seadog here announced me.” She gestured towards Jason.

“Only in tradition,” Jason defended himself before turning away.

“So just by wearing this, people know who you are?” Sam looked at Angela. He was familiar with the concept of standards. So what she was telling him was that her scarf and the symbol were her colors so to speak.

“Pretty much since I’ve worn it before. The last time was when I stood for Lycan and his family a little over ten years ago,” Angela replied with a slight smile. “Now I’m doing it again but at least I’m not killing anyone.”

Sam made a slight face. “I’m glad you’re not either and I’ve seen you kill things.” He gave a slight exhale of air and then added, “So are you nervous?” It was too much like how Dean would change the subject but it was a little bit creepy to think about Angela fighting someone to the death in essentially a duel.

“Duck on the pond.”

That was before they found out that the exhibition had been moved to the end of the final match. Sam had been confused at that since he had read what he could on the tournament. He happened to glance at Angela and noticed the expression on her face. He asked, “Is it one of those head things?”

She replied, “I believe so.”

Sam was willing to go with it but the distracted air Angela was giving; he suspected that she was in thought about the change. There was a reason for the change and Sam was willing to bet that it was done because of what happened last night. That meant there was one more thing to worry about though she would probably tell him not to worry.

He was right when she looked at him and gave a slight smile, “Just focus on why you are here. You can do it.” She then repeated the gesture she did yesterday before sending him out to meet the guy who thought it would be fun to pick a fight with him.

Sam stopped leaning on the staff and walked to his position holding it in both hands. He looked at his opponent who looked like he hadn’t been impressed so far. He glanced over at Angela who was watching everything and then back at his opponent. Well here goes nothing.

“You looking to a woman for your orders?” The voice was just as taunting as it was before Terre Haute.

Sam didn’t say anything but narrowed his eyes at the Chaser. Normally he would have responded to that but he decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He just held the staff and looked at his opponent who was trying to be intimidating with his sticks. It was unexpected when one of them struck his hand. Sam made a slight face as he released his grip to flex his hand. That hurt like a bitch and he was wanted to strike in anger but he didn’t. He just flexed his hand to ease the pain while ignoring the boos and the jeering from the others.

  _Let him make the first move._

Sam glanced over at Angela who was watching. She gave a slight nod and since she had her arms crossed over her chest, she was able to hide the slight gesture of tapping the side of her eye with her forefinger. He didn’t respond but looked back at his opponent who was looking pleased with himself even though he was being reprimanded by the official. He nodded that he was ready and gripped his staff with both hands and stood there while the official barked out the words that he had no clue what they were but was able to guess from.

Sam held up the staff in defense slipping back into the position that he had grown comfortable with. It was funny that he was handling a staff when he had more experience swinging an iron crowbar like a bat and shooting things. He could fight and had learned to brawl like Dean but this was different. He looked at his opponent and stood ready.

“You know running away is more like your style. After all you didn’t even want to fight when we first met.”

Sam didn’t say anything but circled warily with his opponent. It was a tense moment since neither seemed to want to strike first. It seemed lengthy enough to drop your guard but Sam didn’t and it was a good thing. When one would least expect it, the Chaser swung out with one of his sticks and aimed for his head. Sam blocked the blow with the end of his staff and it turned into a flurry of defense on his end since the Chaser decided to go at him.

It was like watching Angela when she was practicing on their down time. The major difference was that no matter how fast she went, the movements were always smooth and refined. Here the guy’s movements were rough but accurate. Sam did what he could to stay on the defensive since it seemed that this guy was just going to attack and attack.

It was a mistake to get into a comfortable pattern and Sam paid for it when the Chaser delivered a kick to his chest and sent him flying. Sam landed on the ground but he wasn’t spent. He got back up ignoring the fact that he had forgotten to pick up his staff. He wasn’t going to give in so easily and he made a strong stance similar to ones that Angela would use.

The Chaser looked at Sam with an amused grin. So he was going to try and fight without a weapon. Well that was his choice then. That didn’t mean that he had to play nice. He twirled his weapons. “So you think you are a tough guy? That remains to be seen.”

Sam thought that it was probably foolish for him to use his fists but he had always been more comfortable with them. Besides it wasn’t like it was against the rules. He eyed his opponent and waited to gauge his opponent’s attack.

_You already know how to fight. As a last resort, go with what you know._

Sam felt his lips twitch at the memory of that. It was when he got frustrated the first time she used a staff on him. She made flashy moves on purpose and they distracted him enough to get in and give a nice clout and he had a hard time defending with his own staff. It was then he gave up in frustration and threw it down and he was able to catch the end of her staff. That was when she told him that. So Sam waited and when the strike came, he was able to block with his forearm and he countered with an open palm strike to the guy’s chest.

There were sounds of appreciation but Sam didn’t hear them. He focused on his opponent who was back on his feet and glaring at him. “Lucky shot.”

It was almost like a little dance as both combatants exchanged blows, neither one backing down. Sam though was beginning to feel where the guy hit him and it was mostly on his arms and shoulders. He wasn’t going to back down. Part of it was because he didn’t want to let her down but mostly it was because he felt a need to stand up and defend himself for that night. He managed to catch the stick of the Chaser and whirl him around to grab him in a choke hold.

It worked for a little while and Sam was able to wrench away one of those sticks and toss it away. He felt it in the gut when his opponent used his elbow and drove it into his stomach. Still Sam was ready for the strikes and blocked and managed to grab the guy in a choke grip like he did with Angela only this time he squeezed harder. The Chaser retaliated with a similar move but on his arm and was applying pressure. Sam decided to try a kick and brought his leg up.

The Chaser anticipated it and as soon as Sam kicked, he grabbed the leg and with no mercy, brought his stick down on the outer thigh hard. He hit the same area several times as Sam cried out in pain. “How do you like that pretty boy?” The Chaser grinned as he brought down his stick again since Sam refused to let go of the choke hold.

Sam retaliated since the last one felt like it was on his knee. He threw one of the hardest punches he was ever going to throw in a lifetime and caught the Chaser across the chin. He released his choke hold and it allowed him to fall to the ground. He scrambled away, his leg feeling on fire feeling like a baby for crawling. He managed to find his staff and used it to get to his feet. He couldn’t put any weight on it at the moment but that wasn’t important since the Chaser looked like he was getting up.

It was a bit of a shock to the Chaser since he had never been hit that hard and it dazed him. Yet he was on his feet and he faced Sam who was leaning heavily on the staff. He dropped his remaining stick and charged at Sam.

Sam timed it and as soon as he was close, somehow managed to side step the guy and balancing on one leg, he brought the end of his staff under the Chaser’s legs and lifted, effectively tripping the guy. While the Chaser was in the air, he brought the other end of the staff down on the Chaser’s chest hard and it effectively pushed him into the ground. Sam pointed the end at the Chaser on the ground, who remained still looking up at him. It was over and the official called it in favor of Sam.

There were cheers as Sam used the staff to limp off the field after offering a hand to the Chaser. The Chaser looked him in the eye and said nothing but walked off to join the others who had lost. Sam just wanted to the pain to stop in his leg and prayed that nothing serious happened to it. He thought he was going to fall when a firm and gentle grip grabbed his arm and helped him off. He looked at Angela and asked, “I thought we were supposed to stay and watch.”

“Exception to the rules,” Angela replied as she guided him over to the corner where they hid the day before. “Sit.”

Sam didn’t argue and eased himself onto the bench. He began to study where the Chaser clouted him and tentatively touched near his knee and thigh. The thigh hurt the most but the blow near his knee hurt equally bad and he tried not to grimace as she tested it by moving it. He was surprised that she could feel anything while he was wearing jeans. “That hurts.”

Angela made a slight humming noise. Sam took that to mean that it was bad. He asked, “Is it that bad?”

Angela didn’t want to say anything but he was finished. It was minor compared to what she had seen but if he continued onto the final bout, he could risk serious injury and that would mean no hunting… ever. At this rate he would be out of commission for a few weeks and it would be fine. That in her mind was better than continuing and risking permanent damage. She knew that the boys didn’t like things sugar coated so she had to tell it to him straight. She looked up and said, “You’re done.”

****

Dean looked around the room they were in trying to find a way to get out. After being dumped in here, he was given the surprise that the Lady Davenport that he met in the lavish room was in fact the younger twin sister of the real Lady Davenport. Well technically they were both Lady Davenport but the one in the cell with him and Haley was the one that was supposed to be out there watching Sam and the others.

“There is nothing in here to get out. I’ve been looking through the place the entire time,” the real Lady Davenport replied.

“Yeah well I’m not about to give up yet,” Dean replied as she walked around trying everything. There was a window but it looked like that wasn’t going to go very well since it was too high and there was nothing tall enough, save for either of the women standing on his shoulders.

“I’m not saying to give up.”

“And I’m saying that I’m not because your crazy sister is planning something with the douche that pissed off Angie and now they trying to start something and they want to use you to achieve it,” Dean replied annoyed. It was probably the most he ever got out when he rambled on in an angry tone but he was concerned. From the sound of things Angela could get hurt in the process and he didn’t want that to happen.

“Alanna always was foolish. She believed that we should assert our influence and gain power,” the elder Davenport replied as she started walking around. “I was actually in favor of Hakim’s idea back when we were all laying down tentative plans for our respective tournaments. Lwazi and Yi Xiang were already for it and I was the one to swing the other two but my sister plotted against me.”

“That was shitty of her to do… much like that ass hat Lykos,” Dean muttered. He continued to stare at the high window. It looked small but maybe the ladies could fit through.

The elder Davenport was going to say something when Haley motioned for the both of them to be quiet. She walked towards the window that Dean was staring at and cocked her head to hear better. The voices were faint but they were clear. Her eyes widened slightly as she said, “Listen. The order has been changed.” She strained some more to hear while Dean was giving a slightly clueless look in her direction.

“You mean…” the elder Davenport started.

“Yes. The exhibition will be held last.”

“So Hakim does suspect something is going on. I didn’t think that he would resort to that arrangement.”

Dean was confused and tried to bring order to the situation. “Whoa jump back a bit. What exactly is going on?”

Haley answered, “Hakim changed the order of today’s events. It is his right since he is the head of the family here and they are hosting the tournament.”

“And? What is so special about that?”

The elder Davenport looked at Haley and then at Dean and explained, “The more traditional arrangement is that the exhibition is hosted before the final match. The idea was not to take away victor’s victor and all that hoopla. It also ties into the neutrality that is in place.”

“I thought that the exhibition was a reenactment or almost like it,” Dean replied a little confused.

“It is under that arrangement,” the elder Davenport replied, “By moving it to the end, it allows for ‘older’ traditions to occur. It allows for Hakim to issue the spell chant to break down the neutrality wards over the whole tournament.”

“Meaning that challenges can be issued and hence anything literally goes,” Haley finished.

“So you’re saying that my brother and my friend are right in the middle of a demon nest? If someone decides to start killing, they could be in danger?”

“That is one possibility but as long as Hakim doesn’t say the spell chant, the neutrality is in place,” the elder Davenport replied. She could see Dean become visibly upset at the fact that his brother was right in the middle of potential hostilities if Alanna pulled something off. In truth she was rather envious of what she was seeing in Dean. She and her sister had grown far apart in the last ten or so years and it saddened her. She had known it was jealousy since she was the eldest and was head of the family.

“Right and what about the fact that your sister wants to use Angie to do whatever?”

“I don’t know anyone named Angie. All I know is that Alanna said something about Absolution.” The elder Davenport wondered why Dean was getting excited about his friend. The real person in trouble was Absolution.

“Absolution is Angie,” Dean explained.

“Oh.”

Dean said nothing but began pacing the room they were locked in. It was frustrating that he was in there and Sam was out there with a potential ticking time bomb. The worse thing though was that Angela was out there two and she was going to be made the fuse to the time bomb. Anyone cruel would have said that she was an accident waiting to happen; that she was the cause of him losing Sam… He stopped himself from thinking that because it was bullshit through and through.

Dean knew that Angela would rather die than let anything bad happen to Sam. He knew that because she gave up her vamp half and nearly had the crap beaten out of her and that was for **him** and over his deal! No. More than likely she walked in to help a friend and didn’t foresee the consequences or she did but figured it wasn’t going to be like this. One thing was for certain though, Dean had to get out of there and get to Sam and Angela.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any confidence in Angela. Hell she proved it more ways than one. He couldn’t forget those times geared to keep him and Sam out of trouble. His best memory was when she came and exorcised Meg when she decided to ride Sam’s ass. For once she needed someone to protect her like she did them and he couldn’t do that just like he could do what he promised himself for Sam and it was driving him mad.

Haley watched as Dean paced around. She understood his closeness to his brother but it seemed that he was in a similar mindset with Angela. The thing was he didn’t quite see it as that. He still considered her a partner and a friend; those were people to count on and that sort of thing. Watching him pace in a fit of anger though, it was clear to Haley where he stood maybe on a subconscious level or he was taking it slow. He did talk about those days.

Finally Dean calmed down having realized that they weren’t going to get anywhere with him working himself up into a fit. He took a breath and said, “Okay. So Alanna wants to start a war between the heads and she’s going to use the tournament to do it by forcing neutrality to be broken. The Lykos douche is her partner for the moment and his main interest is Angie. So big sis, what’s the connection?”

The elder Davenport gave a slight clearing of the throat. It was rare that she met people who didn’t give a fig about titles or anything like this. This Dean Winchester seemed to fit in that category. She replied, “Alice will suffice for now. As to your question, Alanna has an interest in power. There must be something that Ab… Angie can do that she wants more than anything. Do you have any idea?” She changed the reference to Angela when she caught Dean’s look.

Dean thought about it for a moment. Hell the only reason people thought her interesting lately were her looks. He knew that because he was the one that had to put a dog collar on Sasquatch with that one. She was half vamp with freakishly cool powers and a knowledge of herbs that made her the sorcerer and him the sorcerer’s apprentice and she could kick ass like there was no tomorrow. He really couldn’t think of anything. “Does your sis have any interest in medicine?”

Alice frowned at that. “No. Alanna would be interested in a power of some sort. The fact that your friend is Absolution and wields the blade of that name is something significant but that is general knowledge. It has to be something unique.”

“Well unless you count making the prize bitch of hell a pampered pooch, I really can’t say.”

Alice stopped for a moment and looked at Dean. “Your friend? She actually tamed a hell hound?”

“Well not just any hell hound. The demons called it the prize bitch of hell. His name is Cerebus and I wish the mutt was here now. Maybe he could bite a few asses while he’s at it but he’s playing guard dog…”

“It’s not possible,” Alice muttered as she frowned to herself. When she came to a realization she could feel the implications falling down. “Alanna what do you think you are doing?”

Dean stopped his rambling. He had been trying to figure out what it was about Angela that anyone thought worth the trouble. That Lenya demon had history with her and he suspected that Angela didn’t want to talk about it. He focused on Alice and asked, “What?”

Alice looked at Haley who was quiet about everything and then Dean. She replied, “I think I know what Alanna is after regarding your friend.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded.

“The hell hound was the clue.”

Dean frowned. What was so special about a hell hound deciding that Angela was someone worth fussing over aside from the fact that she had a sword that was considered special? “Angie healed the thing and it decided to follow her.”

“Think about it Dean,” Alice retorted. “Haven’t you noticed how people gravitate towards her without her trying?”

“That’s usually because of her looks. I know because Sam and I have had to beat off a few douches even though she could easily kick their asses.” Dean frowned a little as he started putting pieces together. He knew about her compulsion, as she called it, but she never used it except those few times that it really mattered. The cop and the speeding ticket but most important, buying time for Ellen. He knew how powerful it was even though he never saw it in action and he certainly heard the story of what the Centurion dicks did to test that strength. He didn’t want to say anything in order to protect her.

Haley knew that he was putting pieces together and the slight look of pain that became etched on his face. She knew that he knew. She said, “That is part of it.”

“Oh please don’t let him try to figure it out. It’s just too painful,” a new voice entered as the door opened.

Dean turned to look at the newcomer who opened the door. He immediately scowled, “I’m still holding onto the ganking your ass option.” He pointed at the demon standing in the doorway.

Cary just smiled and then feigned hurt, “Is that the thanks I get for actually saving your asses? Man you are an ingrate. Come on before the lumberjacks figure out that I led them on a goose chase.” He motioned for the trio to follow him.


	20. Chapter 20

Bobby watched Sam go through his fight. There were four left and the two left standing were going to duke it up. Then, according to the announcement, was the exhibition and that meant Angela was going to do her thing. Bobby had to admit that was strange for the change and he read everything on this shindig. He glanced around for any sign of Dean.

They had just gotten to their seats when some young guy came up and handed Dean a piece of paper. Dean read it and said that he would be back and that it was a girl thing. Bobby grumbled at that, thinking that Dean was thinking with his downstairs brain this time. It was about thirty minutes before he noticed the crumpled note that was on his seat.

Bobby realized that Dean left it before he left to go do whatever he was going to do. He read it and was puzzled by the phrasing but Dean seemed to understand it. He couldn’t do much about it since Sam was up first and it was against a Shadow Chaser who looked like all his Christmases had come at once.

Bobby couldn’t believe that Dean would be gone this long but since trouble dropped in their first night there… He was willing to bet that he was doing what he had to on his end though he could tell that he wanted to watch his brother. There were some cheers and Bobby turned to look down at the fight. “What in the…”

Bobby watched as Sam stood up and stood there ready to take on his opponent with nothing but his bare fists. A glance at Angela told him nothing though he was sure that she was smirking in pride. The fact that he was probably too far to see her escaped him completely. He knew that girl probably as well as he knew his boys. “What in sam hill did you teach him Angie?”

It was nerve wracking watching those sticks swing and Bobby couldn’t help but wince when they made contact on Sam’s body. As a hunter, Bobby knew that the job entailed pain and injuries but to see it being inflicted and unable to do anything was another thing entirely. However Sam seemed in control of the situation and he actually managed to bat away one of those stick things.

Bobby heard the crowd as they seemed to cheer at what Sam was doing. They got excited when he grabbed the guy he was fighting in a chokehold. Bobby remembered that move. It was one of the last things that Angela had taught Sam. Bobby remembered the first time she did that move on Sam. Dean laughed at Sam’s face, not realizing that she was applying pressure until she grabbed him in the same manner with her free hand. Bobby had laughed then because he knew that she wasn’t out to hurt them but to make a point as she usually did.

The sound of boos grabbed Bobby’s attention and he turned just in time to see Sam’s leg get the crap beat out of it. He wanted to go down there and help Sam but he stayed where he was. He then noticed that both were on the ground and Sam was scampering away. He watched as Sam got up and continued to fight. “Stubborn boy.”

Bobby watched long enough to see Sam win the fight but he couldn’t see where Angela took him. Wherever they went, he was sure that she would give him a good scolding or whatever she had in mind. Right now he had to watch for anything out of the ordinary. He ignored the cheers of the second match going on.

At the moment, nothing was going on where the heads were seated. He wondered if something was going to happen if ever. Then it occurred to him that maybe whoever was going to sabotage the event would act during a point that would have the biggest impact. That meant the exhibition and that meant that Angela was going to feel the brunt of it.

It was instinct to rush down and warn her but Bobby knew that he wouldn’t be able to make it down there. Something about non warriors not being allowed down there. Then it occurred to Bobby that maybe that Hakim boy figured that the exhibition was the key and moved it to prevent people from getting hurt.

Actually it sounded like something that Angela would do and Bobby wondered if she suggested it to Hakim. She would do that; make the calculations to have the least horrible solution. In this case, the arena floor would be cleared and the only two fighting would be the combatants. Bobby spared a glance and noticed that girl from the night before and she was fighting that Lykos guy. “Balls.”

It was the only thing he could say. He did have to hand it to the mysterious girl that she was able to handle herself as well as she was doing now. Her choice of weapon was unique. Yet in the end she couldn’t handle the continuous attacks from Lykos and she lost the match. That meant that Sam was going up against the guy who had a thing for Angela. In Bobby’s mind that was a recipe for disaster since he knew how both boys reacted when someone sullied Angela’s honor. Sam was the worst at it especially though he could say the same for Dean but it was on a different level. Bobby could already feel the testosterone rise.

Looking down, Bobby could see that Lykos was pleased with himself. He couldn’t see Angela or Sam anywhere. Maybe the injury to Sam’s leg was worse than he thought. That had him concerned but not too much since Angela was on the floor. She wouldn’t put Sam through paces if he was that badly injured. However the nasty feeling came through in that possibly Sam would find some way to persuade her to let him finish. “Stick to yer guns Angie. Don’t be fooled by them puppy dog eyes.”

****

Wosret went in the direction of where she was supposed to be for the final match. She lost but in her mind it was worth it. She was young and untested and in her mind, she had gone up with the best and earned a place amongst them. It was only with regret that she wouldn’t be able to go against Absolution’s pupil but she was glad that he made it this far.

She had seen the move that injured his leg and had to resist the urge to say something to the offender. After what Gabriel had told her, she resorted to keeping a low profile. She still managed to give the offender a poignant glare as he left the arena. At least he had been humbled somewhat.

Her battle against the animal shifter was tough. She hadn’t liked him the moment she laid eyes on him. Still she fought hard but in the end he had more dirty tricks up his sleeves than she could count. The sad thing was that they were legal moves. It was a show of skill and in the end the rogue won. So she was headed off to watch the last one when she noticed that Absolution and her pupil were nowhere in sight. She wondered if something happened to them since she was certain that Lykos had been the one who sent those troublemakers.

Casting a furtive look around, Wosret ducked out of sight to double back and try to find them. She figured that they probably were in some place that was safe from prying eyes. It had her wonder if the injury was that bad. She couldn’t tell from the angle she was at but the boy managed to make it back to his feet alone and he managed to walk off the ring by himself.

She rounded a corner in an isolated part of the arena when she heard, “Sam, if you go back out there and get hit there, you could seriously injury yourself. Perhaps permanently.”

“I’m not quitting, Angie.”

Wosret heard a sound that was interesting. It sounded like a hitch of breath mingled with a sigh. Then she heard, “Sam, please reconsider. There is no shame in not continuing. We came here so you could face those punks one by one in challenge that was presented to you and you did that. There is nothing more to do.”

“Actually there is.”

Wosret had to admire the sheer stubbornness of the boy. It was obvious that the injury was much more worse than she thought. It was serious enough for Absolution to encourage him to not finish the tournament. She was right in that there was no shame in not continuing. However she was interested in why he thought this to be so important. She moved closer to listen to what Absolution was going to say.

The voice was not shrill or anything. It was gentle and soft as it asked, “Alright. Tell me then: what is so important about finishing that you are willing to take a risk?”

Wosret decided that she would rather see this than hear it. Using her ability to make herself invisible, she moved so she could see the pair. She saw Absolution looking at Sam and he looked like he was trying to come up with an answer. He seemed to have difficulty in putting his thoughts into words but she could see the look of patience that was etched on Absolution’s face. Sam finally replied, “I know you probably think that I want to take on Lykos because of what happened the other night with you and that might have been true before but it’s not.”

Wosret watched as Sam made a slight movement with his bad leg, wincing slightly. He then continued, “It really is for me. I want to know if I can stand against someone or something that is basically the enemy and not necessarily beat them but sort of like standing up to fears. Does that make sense?”

“A little.”

Sam sighed and then tried again, “It’s something I want to find and understand.” He indicated to the scrollwork on his sleeves. “Um… I’m new to this whole honor the way you see it and… um well you said that these are given to the warrior and they are to find and understand and um… I want to know.”

“Why do you want to know?”

Wosret couldn’t help but give a smirk. She could see that Absolution understood what Sam was getting at but it was like she wanted to hear him say it. What Sam said next was surprising, “I want to know if it was worth all the time and energy. You found me worthy but I want to find out for myself and… well someone told me that a warrior’s worth is measured by the quality of his opponent. Maybe if I can um face a douche like Lykos with some form of dignity…” He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Can you help me do that?”

Wosret watched as Absolution studied Sam for a moment. Granted he hadn’t been eloquent in his reasoning, Wosret could see that Absolution understood where he was coming from. The silence was probably more nerve wracking for Sam and he was asking for help to achieve what he wanted and that was worth big in her book since most men were too proud to show anything they perceived as weakness.

Finally Absolution replied, “Alright.”

Sam asked, “Can you do something for my leg?”

Absolution looked off in the direction of the arena. She heard the announcement as well as Wosret. The young goddess knew that Absolution didn’t have much time to do anything. They were going to start any moment. She turned her gaze back towards Absolution who was looking at Sam’s leg for a moment before motioning for him to put it on the bench so she didn’t have to bend over as much. “Just relax Sam and lean back.”

“You’re not asking me to strip are you?”

There was a slight tinge of humor to the question and Wosret concluded that was how their relationship was. It was a strange thing in humans but it was interesting. She watched as Absolution replied with a wry smile, “No thanks.” The Absolution looked at Sam with a look and Sam gave a slight nod.

Wosret recognized the technique immediately. Some said it was an ancient Asian thing but it was actually developed in Egypt and carried over to other lands. Some elements changed but the basics were there. The goddess had no idea that Absolution was one of those kinds of healers. She shook her head in awe at this new fact she learned about Absolution. It offered insight as to why Gabriel admired and cared about her. She decided to leave the pair alone knowing that it would be all right.

Once she was out of sight the goddess made herself visible and started towards the stands. She spotted the sailor that was not of this time and walked to stand beside him. She watched as Lykos stood in the ring waiting but he had a slight smirk on his face. It was as if he expected Sam not to show up. Wosret was rather interested in seeing his reaction when Sam came out to face the challenge. She glanced at the sailor and said, “It seems that he expects to win.”

“More likely he will. His opponent’s injury was rather serious,” the sailor replied.

“I suspect though that he will make a comeback.”

“What makes you say that, my lady?”

Wosret glanced at the sailor. They had met the night before but she was surprised that he figured out that she was a goddess. She had been careful to hide that. Well not really since she was able to zap herself over to Absolution’s quarters and Absolution called her by name. It was rare to find those that showed respect no matter how minor a goddess she was. She replied, “Let’s just say that some very old juju will tip the scales to even out.”

The sailor replied, “Then I guess we’ll just have to watch.”

****

Lykos couldn’t help but grin but he maintained the respectful poise that warriors were supposed to have. The boy she latched herself onto probably was finished. He had seen how hard that Chaser struck that leg and the boy limping off. Knowing her, she would be doing everything to convince him to quit and she would be right in doing so. That would be because he would take great pleasure in breaking the boy’s leg right in front of her if he did show up.

He looked around and then at the official. Since it was done by the book, she would be given fifteen minutes to see to her little boy toy. By his reckoning, they had less than a minute. Lykos knew he was right on the spot when the official started to walk towards the center of the ring to make an announcement. “Attention: Due to circumstances, the combatant known as…”

“Hold it.”

All heads turned, including Lykos’ head towards the owner of the voice that interrupted. He couldn’t believe what he saw. His surprise quickly turned to anger as he tried not to lose his temper and become disgraced. It annoyed him more that his gentle giant of a brother was pleased with what he was seeing. Then again Lycan was one who firmly believed in that sort of thing. Well if it was going to be that way then he was not going to go easy.

Angela had stepped forward just as the announcer was going to say that Sam wasn’t going to compete and spoke loud and clear. She didn’t have to shout shrilly but her voice carried power all the same. She walked forward and looked at the announcer and said, “The final match will go on.”

There were cheers at the prospect. For the first time since this started, Angela listened as the crowds cheered as Sam stepped out with a slight limp. It was apparent that he made a big impression on everyone present as well as his manners when he had beaten his opponents. She looked and caught a glimpse of the rat pack that Sam defeated. They looked impressed and as they walked towards the ring, the leader barked in the ancient language and they saluted Sam by bowing.

It was like a ripple effect as other warriors gave their salutes that were from wherever they were from. Angela noticed Sam’s slight frown and she said, “Call it a salute to your courage to continue in spite of injury; getting back on the horse after being kicked off.” She looked up at Lykos who had a murderous gleam in his eyes. She knew then that he was going to go all out. She could only hope that Sam would be able to avoid the worst.

Sam was determined to finish this and he was surprised at first that Angela gave in and agreed to help him get back to the ring. His leg still hurt but whatever she did, it dulled it to be bearable. He could walk even though he had a limp and could put weight on it even though it was probably a good idea not to. He replied, “I guess they respect that.”

“That they do. It is easy to give up but they would have understood if you couldn’t. Even the older ones who think it foolish respect that you made a conscious decision,” Angela replied.

The official said something about the final match and who it was against. He then gave the conditions. It was to be a clean fight, weapons were allowed if the combatants chose to use them and the first to fall and not get up or if they were locked into a death tap lost. There was one added stipulation though. The announcer said that any offensive abilities could be used and that was in reference to powers of any kind.

Sam heard the announcement and said, “I guess that means he’ll be using any powers he has.”

Angela nodded. The whole thing made her nervous but she would stick by Sam’s decision and her decision to help him. She could take it to the bank that it wasn’t the puppy dog eyes that convinced her and she could tell it to Dean later. She replied, “Yes. I should tell you that he can shift…”

“Bobby mentioned that. I know it’s not the same as a shape shifter but…” Sam gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. It wasn’t the same but he could expect a shift and he would more likely be better equipped to counter should that happen.

The official motioned for Sam to get to his place. Angela took the moment to do the finger gesture she did before but she hesitated slightly as she ended it. She then said something in a language that Sam didn’t understand but he figured that it was something along the lines of good luck. He found the gesture with her fingers though to be more reassuring than any words she would have spoken and he took that feeling as he gave a deep breath and limped his way into the ring.

Lykos watched as Sam maneuvered his body to face the opposite of him. The boy was still holding onto that staff he had been using the whole time. He was surprised when he dropped it on the ground and didn’t bother to pick it up. Lykos nodded in understanding. So the boy wanted to fight with his fists? He could work with that but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t use his abilities to the fullest. He said, “You think that strategy will work this time boy?”

Sam looked at Lykos. Normally he wouldn’t have said anything like he did with every opponent he had. This time though it felt right to say something. He replied, “As long as it feels right at the moment.”

Lykos couldn’t help but laugh. The reply sounded so ridiculous and yet it sounded like something she would say. He replied, “I see you’ve taking to reciting the same crap she told me and yet you sound like you believe it.”

Sam shrugged his shoulders. He looked at the official and then at his opponent. He waited until the official gave the command. Once it was given he dropped into a basic stance while Lykos did the same. He took no notice at how quiet the arena had gotten. His only focus was on his opponent. He took the same stance he did when he threw down his staff; his weight was adjusted to allow him to pivot on his feet as needed.

Lykos knew that Sam was favoring his leg in his stance. It would be easy to aim for it but he shrewdly guessed that the boy would be protecting it while trying to find a way to get a punch or two in. That was pathetic. This was going to end quickly and that he was sure of. As soon as the official barked the command to fight, Lykos acted fast and came at the boy by swinging his front arm around to deliver a backhand in order to open up the boy’s stance.

Sam’s brawling technique came easily to his mind as he blocked and delivered a cross to Lykos’ face. He didn’t put everything he had into that punch but it was enough for it to make a difference. He was letting Lykos know that he wasn’t a pushover.

Lykos didn’t see the cross coming but the pain from the punch was pleasing. That meant the boy did come out to play. So he was going to have some fun. He backed up slightly to set himself up for his attack plan. He then launched his attacks in a series of strikes designed to be a nuance but they would hurt all the same. He had to admit that the boy was doing pretty good with his blocking.

Sam blocked the strikes that came his way while trying to watch out for any signs of surprise. It was awkward because he was bouncing out of the way in order to counterstrike. The unexpected came when Lykos started in with the kicks and Sam knew that the douche was gunning for his bad leg so it was just going to be a bitch trying to protect it from the worst of the beatings yet to come.

“Come on. Are you a chicken, boy? Afraid of a little pain?”

Sam blocked and delivered a strike but one got under his guard and hit his ribcage right where that Gaia woman kicked him. It dug in and it hurt like a bitch making him jump a funny jump because of his leg but he stayed upright. It was no relief because Lykos kicked his bad leg. At least he turned enough to keep Lykos from hitting the knee but it still hurt and Sam hissed as he hobbled back.

The bent form was enough for Lykos to start in on the fun that he wanted to do to the boy. He charged using the form that was constantly attack. The boy blocked but some of the blows got in and Lykos decided to let him have it. He did his combination that he was known for and followed through with a kick that sent Sam flying back to land hard on the ground but Lykos wasn’t finished yet. He waited so that the boy could see what he was up against.

Sam wasn’t finished by a long shot. Even though his leg was killing him now since some of Lykos’ kicks managed to get past his guard and make contact, he wasn’t giving up. That last kick nearly winded him, and he managed to prop himself on his elbows to find where Lykos was and to gauge how much time he had to get up. He managed to glance over where Angela was watching and he noticed that she was chewing her lower lip like she did when she was nervous. Looking back he managed to find where Lykos was and he wasn’t sure he liked what he saw.

Sam had seen many things as a hunter but he had never seen anything like the huge animal in the shape of a wolf that appeared where Lykos was. _Duh. Lykos in Greek means wolf._ It was a fine time to think of Latin and Greek roots when he had a huge beast that was also a man preparing to come after you. Unfortunately Sam didn’t have anything like that except the staff he had dropped. Miraculously he landed next to it and it was within easy reach.

The animal was growling at him and approaching in a predatory lope. Sam slowly moved himself into position to get up but it was awkward because of the leg. When Lykos charged, Sam took a chance and did a weird roll and avoiding the charge. In the process, he was able to grab the staff and get to his feet. It wasn’t a perfect roll since he slipped slightly from his bad leg but he was on his feet and he was ready.

Lykos hated the fact that he missed and did an about face and came charging back. If he had to break the boy’s ribs then so be it. He charged forward and as he did, he missed the boy again but felt something clout hard on his shoulder that had him skid on the ground. He managed to turn and saw that the boy had his staff in his hands and he was charging. Lykos did what he could do and that was to snap his powerful jaws at the boy even though he was being clouted on by that stick. He did manage to make a swipe with his paw and he caught the boy and knocked him over. It bought him time to revert back to his form and grab his sword.

Sam got back to his feet quickly and was ready for the sword. He brought the end of the staff down hard on the sword hand and the blade fell to the ground. It became tug of war with Lykos when he grabbed the staff and both pulled until Lykos flipped Sam onto his back and was going to strangle him. Sam countered by somehow managing to maneuver his body to bring his knee up into Lykos’ gut and push him off. Sam was on his feet and the staff was on the ground and he was delivering punches as if he were in a barroom brawl.

Lykos felt the blows and found it hard to block. He did manage to give a few back but this boy seemed to fight on a different level. He fought back but a punch knocked him to his knees.

Sam didn’t feel rage or anything. In fact when he got Lykos to his knees, it felt eerily like when he fought Jake. Again he was tempted to deliver a last punch and knock out Lykos’ lights yet he felt there was no need to. He knocked him down and that was enough. He stopped and stood there doing nothing. It said a lot to the crowd who ended up applauding and the official gave the match to him. He started limping off towards Angela who was giving a slight smile.

“Well done.”


	21. Chapter 21

The crowd turned towards the heads in the booth. Hakim was standing up and gazing down. He repeated, “Well done. You have achieved the highest ideals of honor.”

Sam looked at Angela who gave a slight nod and he gave a nod towards the heads. The crowd cheered. It was almost like hearing the sounds of a football game on television. He then heard Angela whisper, “Now will you listen to me and take a break?”

Sam couldn’t help but smile at that. Maybe he did push it by being obstinate about finishing. He half expected her to reject his plea. He didn’t even bother with the puppy dog eyes but rather was honest with her. That did the trick and she did something to ease the pain in his leg and now he was here and he was finished. He replied, “Alright… Mom.”

“You really are asking for it.”

“You wouldn’t hit a guy with a bum leg now would you?”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe a head slap.”

Hakim was saying, “And now the tournament will conclude with the traditional exhibition of talent. Two warriors, each exhibiting the qualities of the god and goddess who have blessed the annual flooding of the Nile will partake in an exhibition of talent and skill. It will begin the moment the floor is cleared.”

That was the signal for the floor to be cleared and set up. Angela remained for a moment and Sam stayed. He didn’t ask why she was staying but figured that she was looking for something. She then said, “Well I guess I have to take my licks now.”

Sam studied how she looked around and then said, “If anything you’ll be the one dealing the licks.” He gave a slight smile.

“Please,” Angela replied teasing. “My technique on sword forms is sloppy and I haven’t thrown a decent chakram around in years. I’ll be a disgrace.” She guided Sam towards where officials were sitting. She muttered something in a language to them and they allowed for Sam to sit.

Sam replied, “Liar. The way you’ve beat mine and Dean’s asses black and blue, not to mention the things we’ve been hunting…” He trailed off as he sat. It was a relief for his leg. He let Angela examine it by moving it around to make sure nothing too bad was done to it. “If you lose, you’re still the best,” he added for good measure.

Angela was looking down so she didn’t see the expression on his face. She replied, “Thanks. Well no lasting damage so I can give you that head slap for that later.” She stood up and looked around. She couldn’t help but glance over to where the heads were sitting. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was going to happen either during the exhibition or before hand.

At least most of the people were cleared out of the way should anything serious happen. She turned towards Sam after hearing the call and said, “Well that’s my cue.” She turned to leave but was halted when Sam asked her to wait.

She turned to find Sam on his feet suspecting that he wanted to be at a decent height with her. It surprised her when he reached out towards her face and ran two fingers down the left from her temple to the chin. She was speechless wondering how he knew how to do that as he said, “For luck.” Her question was answered when he added, “I read.”

It was enough for Angela to school her features into a smile. She couldn’t say anything but she gave a slight nod of appreciation and turned to stand before the heads of the families. She didn’t think that Sam would find out about the gesture done for female warriors. Most would use the male gesture since women in that profession were playing with the boys and they acted like the boys. It was… sweet?

****

“Okay can someone tell me why there are suddenly hundreds of guards surrounding this place?” Dean looked down the corridor as Cary peered around the corner.

“Alanna must be moving into position. It would be easy to move troops while everyone’s eyes are on the fighters,” Alice replied as she looked at the way they had come.

Ever since the demon Cary had let them out, they had been going through a maze of halls and nearly every turn revealed soldiers and the like. It caused concern for Haley and Alice since they realized that it was serious and they understood the full ramifications. Dean on the other hand only grasped that his brother was caught in the middle and could possibly be in trouble.

“That would be the sort of thing the boss would do himself but then he would rather see this thing without interruption,” Cary interjected.

“Right because you demons are so full of honor,” Dean muttered sarcastically. He had no idea where they were but he was willing to follow Haley and Alice’s lead since they were more familiar with this place than he was.

“Yes we are,” Cary retorted thoroughly annoyed that he was reduced to trapezing through halls full of soldiers. It was becoming obvious that the boss probably had a clue this was going to happen and if ‘her’ pets were in harm, she wouldn’t be able to function properly. It certainly was not picnic being with the one who liked to be a name calling ass. “It’s because we love a fair fight as much as the next guy.”

“Sure ya do.”

There was little more grumbling and Dean felt like they were running in circles. It was when they passed by a window that overlooked the arena, that he stopped. He didn’t know how he knew but once he got a better look, he could make out the freakishly huge form of his brother limping towards the ring. Dean grew concerned at the limp as he looked at Angela.

She followed behind Sam and Dean thought she looked worried but also proud. It was something he was going to have to ask the pair of them later but at the moment he looked to see who he was fighting. When he saw Lykos he couldn’t help but mutter, “You better kick his ass, Sammy. No one messes with Angie or anybody like that.”

He couldn’t help but grin when he saw Angela do the same thing she did yesterday. “Some day Angie and I’m betting on in.” He gave a slight chuckle.

“And what could possibly be so funny? It must be you lagging behind,” Cary entered as he walked up.

“Shut up ass hat. What’s the quickest way down there?”

“That would be the servant halls. They are direct routes and well out of spectator foot traffic,” Alice offered as she and Haley joined the pair at the window. She glanced out the window and saw the combatants in the ring. From the looks of things it was the final match. She recognized one but not the other. She asked, “You know who’s fighting?”

“My brother, Sam. The tall one.” Dean pointed out his brother as he watched. His big brother senses picked up on the fact that Sam suffered an injury and was fighting with it. He couldn’t help but be proud of that but he was also pissed. He figured that Sam must have persuaded Angela to let him continue and if it was with the puppy dog eyes…

“Must be worth his salt if he is fighting Lykos while suffering an injury in the final match of the tournament,” Alice ventured.

Dean couldn’t help but be proud that Sam made it that far but that still didn’t mean he was getting away with being reckless. That also meant that they didn’t have much time until the exhibition. He replied, “He is but that also means that we don’t have much time until that exhibition.”

“Servants halls may be the best way but I suspect that they will be crawling with soldiers. We may have to bluff our way in,” Alice replied.

Dean couldn’t help but give his smug grin, “Bluffing is what I do best. Lead the way.”

They managed to make it past most of the patrols that were in the halls. The servants said nothing if there were any that happened to be in the halls. Their luck ran out when the last patrol that barred their way recognized Alice and began asking questions. At least the lead guard was on their side but that didn’t stop the fight that began. Well actually Haley managed to trip up the guards with one of her little tricks allowing them to run.

Dean had enough of mazes but in this case it was pretty handy since they were being chased. It was he who suggested that they split up. He grabbed Haley and took off down a corridor. They were chased quite a ways but somehow they managed to evade their captors. They made it to a hidden area unaware that it had been used by Angela and Sam while she tended to injuries.

“If I remember correctly, this was actually supposed to be the medic’s tent,” Haley whispered. “They were long since left out of use so it is more or less a sentimental thing.”

“Pretty private.”

“That’s the idea but then the tradition of showing how tough you were despite injuries exploded. Now if we head this way we just might be able to sneak close enough to the main floor,” Haley replied as she led the way. “Normally only officials and the two selected for the exhibition are allowed down here.”

“Any exceptions?”

“Well if the combatants say their companion is their second or something like that. I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”

“Sam’s right there and he looks like he’s seen better days,” Dean replied as he pointed out his brother who was standing at the moment and looking at Angela. When Sam reached out to touch Angela’s face, Dean’s first thought was that Angela was going to slap him. Certainly her face indicated that she was stunned. In fact she was speechless. He heard Haley give a slight gasp. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just that he used the gesture given only to women warriors.”

“So? That means Sam sees Angie as a girl. We both do.” Dean shrugged his shoulders in response.

“It’s very rare. Like one of a kind rare. Most of the time women are given the male gesture for good luck.”

Dean thought about it for a moment and then replied, “Well Sam is a bit of a nerd. He probably researched the whole thing and decided to pay Angie back.” It also occurred to him that on a subconscious level that it was like the kiss his brother gave her when she was about to start that race in Brazil and it was Sam reacting to the moment. Either way Dean was getting a kick out of the attraction they had for each other and laughing at the fact that neither of them could see it. It was damned hilarious.

Haley could see that Dean was thinking something funny. Of what she could only guess. She turned her attention towards Angela who was starting to walk to the center to stand in front of the heads. Whoever it was probably was more likely going to start something at this point. She looked and thought she spotted something in the shadows where the heads were. She gave a slight elbow to Dean and pointed to what she saw.

Dean looked up and saw the shadow before it disappeared. “Sonofabitch. Any way to get up there?”

“It’ll be too late then unless Hakim is quick with a spell chant or someone or something interferes.” She left it hanging for Dean to fill in the blanks.

“You mean…”

“Oh yeah.”

****

Angela stood before the heads all the while feeling uneasy. She had put it together when Hakim made his announcement about changing the order. Hell she knew it but she was holding out on a faint hope that they wouldn’t sully the exhibition. Now she felt like she did when she first played the Minotaur game with Lenya; nervous and tense.

She glanced at Sam who was sitting where she had left him after convincing the officials that he was her second. They accepted that but she had the suspicion that they would have accepted anything that she had said. It was still a bit of a surprise as to how far even strangers would go to do things for her event though she wasn’t utilizing her compulsion ability.

Seeing Sam reminded her of the gesture he gave her and she wondered what prompted him to give that one. Granted he would have done his research but even he would have found out that women tended to receive the male form of the gesture. It was disconcerting but she figured that he wanted to give the same consideration she gave him like a friend would. It produced a warm sensation that tempered the feelings of nervousness.

Theron arrived on the scene and took his place to her left. He stood like a soldier would while she was just standing as she would in an at ease position. Angela always preferred to be comfortable in her stances unless the occasion called for her to be formal. She did manage to straighten up so she stood at a respectable posture. She felt the familiar tenseness in her stomach just like the last time she stood like this.

“The Tournament of Souls was started as a means of stemming bloodshed in the wars of long ago. In the ages that followed, it has evolved as a showing of skill and ability but never have we forgotten those that have patronized this tournament and the annual flooding of the beloved Nile. Per tradition and honor, two of the best have been selected to represent the two gods that have made prosperity possible.” Hakim looked out at the crowds as they stood listening. It was the traditional speech that his father had given but he had put a few of his own words in it. He continued, “Representing the god Hapi, son of Horus is Theron.”

The cheers were loud and respectful. Theron stepped forward and raised his arm in salute. Hakim acknowledged his salute and continued, “Selected for his bravery and skill, Theron is a master of hunters and has passed on his trade to aspiring hunters, some who have joined prestigious orders that serve to protect this world. Even to his enemies he is well respected and considered an honored opponent.”

Hakim allowed the applause for Theron to go on. The elder warrior was hero worshipped by at least half of the younger ones here and respected by older ones. He saw Angela giving a polite clap for the elder hunter. He chewed his lip and prayed that she would understand when he continued, “And representing the goddess Satet is a warrior princess who is known for her skill with blades of all sizes and ability to go against odds considered impossible. Bearing the sword of Absolution is Absolution.”

Much like when the competitors heard who was amongst them, the stands went quiet and all eyes focused on Angela. It was disconcerting but she had gone through it before time and again. She was grateful that Hakim didn’t go into her illustrious career since pretty much everyone there had heard one maybe two stories about what she had done. The warrior princess bit was new and she got the feeling that both Winchesters just received new ammunition for jokes. Knowing it was expected of her, she stepped forward and gave the salute she had been taught by her fratello.

The result was that the crowd gave a cheer. It was disconcerting since she was one not to gloat about past battles but hell she spent most times avoiding this and she did owe Hakim. She stood straight and firm as she addressed the crowd unaware that she was looking like those old statesmen who stood on top of a pavilion to give a speech. Her scarf hung like a graceful cape.

“Ah yes, as skilled and as beautiful though I believe beauty isn’t always is what it seems.”

Angela narrowed her eyes as she turned towards the speaker where the heads were. The silence was deafening as she looked up. She replied, “I could agree with that.”

Lady Davenport looked down at Absolution. Lykos may have lost but now was the hook line and sinker. This will work. She smiled as she replied, “I’m glad to see that we agree on something or is that the famous warrior politeness in order to make sure your honor is not sullied?”

“Showing respect in spite of dislike is hardly insulting,” Angela replied. “Tell me something Lady Davenport, how easy was it to get an armed assassin into the building for that little show at the reception?” It probably wasn’t the best time to start airing evidence and the like but the door was opened. Angela looked up at the heads but caught sight of movement off to the side and shouted, “I wouldn’t try it.”

“They would Absolution. Like you I know the one thing that thrives in all manner of business is loopholes,” Lady Davenport replied. At that moment, armed men swarmed the box and pulled their weapons on the other heads. “For instance, little Hakim here is going to say the spell chant so just in case you refuse to cooperate…” She left the threat hanging in the air.

Angela narrowed her eyes until they became tiny glints. “And what am I supposed to cooperate to?”

“You see, you have a gift Absolution and it is very valuable. But not only your gift is valuable but so are you.” Lady Davenport looked over everyone. “Now all of you out there know that Absolution can rally troops without effort but how many of you are sure that it isn’t for her own selfish motives?”

“I have wondered that myself,” Theron said. His voice was low so only Angela could hear it.

The crowd started murmuring. Angela looked at Theron with an expression that piqued interest in a few individuals. She said equally low to Theron, “You would chase a lie, Theron?”

“Only if I wasn’t sure.”

Angela nodded in sadness but didn’t look at the warrior. “Then know this: I don’t blame you at all for your thoughts. Anything you do to me I will forgive.” She then looked up at Lady Davenport and replied, “Is it wrong for a general to inspire his men before a battle? For those that have known me and know of my deed would know that I have led men into battle. They would know that they followed because I am willing to go and do what I must. How many of you can say the same?”

“Ah yes, self-sacrifice is a big one. Also this giving of your time and effort without any thought of reward,” Lykos said as he entered in to stand across from her.

“There is nothing that I want and if there is, it is something I can’t have. There is fulfillment in duty,” Angela countered with the same old line.

“I would expect that from you,” Lady Davenport replied. “Still you can make this easy or hard. You surrender Absolution and become my general and the rest can go. That is after I finish the rest of the heads.”

“Alanna don’t!” A voice that sounded like Lady Davenport’s entered. The only difference was that the pitch was a little bit lower.

Angela turned to see a woman who looked like Lady Davenport run out. She caught a glimpse of Cary but the rat stayed behind in safety. So he was willing to do what he was ordered up to a point. That was typical of the worm so there were no tears over that. What was her immediate concern was the fact that the woman just ran out there. It didn’t help when Dean and Haley suddenly appeared.

The woman stopped and said, “Alanna, stop right now. Don’t do this. Not in front of everyone.”

“You think you can boss me Alice? After how easy it was to capture you and take your place as head of the family. Not even dear Uncle Rupert noticed the difference,” Lady Davenport replied. “Now Absolution you will comply since it is more than your skill at the call to arms that is wanted. I believe you owe someone a debt… right Lykos?”

Angela looked at Lykos with a look of disgust and dislike. So he had teamed up with the younger sister of Alice Davenport and his reward was… ick. Many scoffed at the notion since it was only a theory and even she had done so on occasion but she was wary of it. True there was no evidence but it was like someone said, people cling to something in order to feel belonged. The theory was a connection but even she knew that genetics was a true game of randomness. She looked up at Alanna and then Lykos and was about to retort when Sam’s voice entered, “Don’t even think about it.”

The result was Sam receiving a hard punch to his gut from one of the hidden soldiers. Dean called out to his brother as he collapsed and tried to fight his way towards him. He was halted when the soldier that punched him held his foot high and above the injured leg. The threat was clear even to Dean and that pissed him off more than anything but he held still.

Angela felt her temper rise as Alanna spoke, “Don’t even think to challenge me, Sam Winchester. You may have won but in the end you are an insignificant worm.” She looked at Angela and said, “Now Absolution, are you going to come quietly or do I have to give you a painful reminder. I do have to admit that I was surprised that he convinced you to let him continue. I would have thought that you would have convinced him to step down.”

Angela replied, “It was his choice. In the end that is what makes humans unique.” Her teeth were gritted as she said that. It was not very eloquent but it allowed her to calm down and focus. Hakim hadn’t been able to say the spell chant and glancing up, she could tell that it would be a cold day in hell before that would happen. So there was one option left and only she could do it. She just needed to buy a few more seconds…

“Yes, our foolishness is amusing isn’t it? So what will it be? You or your friends. Don’t think that I have forgotten the old drunk that came with you.” Alanna smiled as she motioned with her hand. Her soldiers came holding Bobby while one pointed something sharp at him.

“Risk my integrity as a person?”

“You’ve given up less and things taken for granted.”

That was true but Angela was not going to sink that low. Before the kerfuffle, she had managed to her hand on her chakram. An idea formed and she was going to go with it. She looked at Bobby and then Sam. He shook his head no and finally at Dean. The look he was giving her looked like when he broke down and said things he didn’t mean to Bobby when Sam died. She gave a slight smile and then turned towards Alanna. She said, “You’re right. I won’t risk my friends lives for my own. I’d rather not risk anything.” With a deft movement, she threw her chakram and it struck the goon threatening Sam and ricocheted.

It caused the chaos needed and the heads did what they had to do. Angela grinned as she caught her chakram and then shouted, “You tried to violate the spirit of the tournament. For that, judgment shall be passed.” She then spoke the ancient Egyptian words that she prayed she never had to use again. The result was a low rumble and a stirring of thunder.


	22. Chapter 22

Satet stood on the beam looking down. She had been thoroughly impressed with the bouts to the finals and was rather glad that Absolution’s pupil won even with a severe injury. The fact that he showed mercy to opponents that undoubtedly ticked him off just added to his character. It was thrilling and she was proud that Wosret lasted as long as she did. The best part was coming up and she could feel the thrill that she did when she first met Hapi.

The thing that struck her the most was how much Absolution was like her younger self. Selfless and caring but willing to bite and hard when people she cared about were threatened. Wosret was the same way. Maybe it was that part of humanity that she never lost like how some gods did. She could better appreciate the Creator’s design in these fragile beings.

“I see you’re getting excited,”Hapi said as he came to stand beside his wife.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Absolution fight in a setting like this,” Satet replied. “She reminds me of me.”

“You can see why Grandmother likes her,” Hapi replied in reference to his father’s mother.

“And her pupil is more like you.”

Hapi looked at Satet with a puzzled look. He looked down at the boy who was talking to Absolution. He had seen him fight. “Really? I don’t see it.”

Satet gave a teasing grin, “Of course you wouldn’t see it. You didn’t see it when we met either until after the battle.”

Hapi frowned and then looked down. He noticed that Satet was watching and she got a slight smile when the boy did the gesture on Absolution. “Well I’ll be.”

“Don’t read too much into Hapi. He doesn’t know it and neither does she though I think she is close to realizing it,” Satet replied. “I noticed that she was different the moment we first met her and Gabriel.”

“I guess we should be grateful that he didn’t blow our cover,” Hapi grumbled. He remembered that time well. He didn’t understand then why Isis had sent them then to meet her since he thought her to be a little like the archangel but then he saw past it and that she was more like Satet. It was either an irony or a contradiction since Satet was a warrior goddess and they were often depicted as fierce but that was anything but with regards to her.

“You know Gabriel,” Satet replied as she watched Absolution walk away. She couldn’t help but smile at the confusion the girl had. “He picks them. Just like you do.” She caught sight of Wosret off to the side near where she could easily disappear to.

Hapi watched the scene played out. He looked at the warrior that was supposed to represent him. Out of habit, he worked his mojo. He saw that he was a good warrior but there was something off about him. It was like he was old and tired. A word came to his mind, one that mortals liked to use, and it was called sell out. He didn’t get it but it seemed right to use. However he couldn’t prove that. It was just a feeling.

“Things went well to this point. Young Hakim suspects though that treachery will be conducted,” Satet continued.

“That is why he changed the order. I admit that I was surprised myself but it is his right and he is his father’s son.”

“You know I wonder how the boy would feel about us watching over him since his father died?”

“Either grateful or annoyed or what they say, pissed,” Hapi replied as he studied the scene below. Even high up he and Satet could hear what was going on. “Hmm… looks like it is the younger twin of the Davenport family that is behind this. I never did like Alanna. Too much like Lawrence, their mother’s brother. A pity that siblings are driven apart.”

“Indeed,” Satet replied as she felt that fire build. She watched as a soldier hit the boy warrior and was prepared to seriously injure him. She then reverted her gaze to Absolution. She saw in her hands the weapon that was unique to her. It wasn’t the sword. That was the means of bringing Absolution. “It seems that we may be called to settle this.”

Hapi glanced down. “She won’t do it. She hated it the day we gave her the key.”

“What can I say? She is like me. She values life. To take one, even if it is a demon, it is life changing,” Satet replied. “She will use it. She knows that Hakim will refuse to issue the spell chant to dispel the neutrality wards which will allow for multiple parties to fight. She knows that we will make it fair.”

“I can sense your eagerness to battle my love. I can sense it in Wosret. I am surprise that she is resisting the temptation,” Hapi replied. He then sighed, “I am not materializing by passing through the one whose name means hunter even if he was named.”

“Who said that you had to? Aren’t we the warrior gods who bless the Nile and are patrons of the sacred Tournament of Souls as was put before us by the Creator’s intermediaries?” Satet gave a wry grin. She watched as Absolution gave a throw of her chakram and watched as it ricocheted and hit the brigand that was going to harm the boy.

_You tried to violate the spirit of the tournament. For that, judgment shall be passed._

Hapi sighed and nodded. “You are right as always. She will say the words. I just hope that her friends will be understanding.”

“Well they would have to be since I have a vague idea of who you are going to choose,” Satet replied. “I don’t agree with this method of materializing since we are capable of doing it without passing through a vessel.”

“Well we can manifest but only those who could see the spirit realm can see us. Wosret is lucky that she can manifest visibly.” Hapi looked down. He could hear the words that he sort of longed to hear again but didn’t fill his ears. “Well time to play… what is it they say?”

“Play referee,” Satet filled in. “I wonder how Wosret will feel about seeing us? She knows the words too.”

“I’m expecting the usual having observed human children,” Hapi replied. He looked down. It was almost time. “Well I think I may do something nice. Not as a thank you for letting us walk the physical realm again but because it is deserved. I was impressed.”

“I knew there was a reason I fell for you. It makes me wonder how the mortals came up with the stories they did about us,” Satet replied with a slight teasing grin. She listened to the chant as it finished. She knew that Absolution said it under great reluctance but her regard for life tended to outweigh her personal desires. She looked at Hapi and said, “Well time to make an appearance. Man the fireworks my love.”

Hapi gave his wife a wry smile. He focused on the spirit energies and started the process. Sometimes he started it and other times Satet started it. It was a testament to the partnership they shared besides marriage and a daughter that was a product of their feelings for each other. Now they were called once again. He felt the energies form together and focused on who he was going to pass through. He cast a look at Satet who was doing her thing.

****

Angela glared up at the box and at Alanna Davenport. The words were spoken and she could hear the rumbling of thunder. She remembered the last time she did this and glanced at Theron. She regretted that there were undesirable parts to this.

The last rumble occurred and the ground shook. People were driven to their knees including Angela. The whole place was silent wondering what had just happened. Angela ended up on her hands and knees. She waited it out as she stared at the ground.

Alanna was stunned by what happened. She knew that it wasn’t a spell chant that Hakim would use. In fact he outwardly refused to say it. So she went with the plan of trying to persuade Absolution to come quietly. She even resorted to threatening the boy with the bad leg. How was she to know that she would use that blasted thing.

Now that the thunder was over and the rumble that was like an earthquake had settled everything. There was nothing. Alanna stood up. Her soldiers grabbed the other heads and held them firm. One had a black eye and surprisingly it came from Yi Xiang and that stoic woman hardly ever did anything rash.

Looking over, she saw Absolution on her knees and looking like something had winded her. So the warrior princess wasn’t so tough after all. She studied everything. Nothing happened. Even Alice was on the ground and looking terrified. She always was scared of fairy tales. Now was the time to finish what she came to do. She said to Absolution, “So that was your solution? A spell to accompany your chakram along with a threat of judgement? Pathetic.”

Absolution was still on the ground and she looked like she was heaving. Alanna decided that it was time to have some fun. She added, “Well maybe now you’ll reconsider.” She looked over and saw the boy still on the ground. She motioned to one of her soldiers. “That is unless you want to see your little pupil have an accident.”

“Don’t you dare you bitch.”

Alanna looked to see the boy’s brother glaring up at her as he was helping the witch that belonged to Lwazi’s family. She replied, “I’ll do what I want, when I want. I was able to take what was mine since I am far better at it than Alice.”

“You’re more like a spoiled brat.”

Alanna saw the brother start to move and she replied, “Don’t even think about it. My men will not hesitate to do the worse thing imaginable to him. Let’s see, I could have them do what I intended for them to do and that was to break his knee. What do you think about that?”

“I think that you should be judged as appropriate.”

Alanna turned to see Absolution getting to her feet. She replied, “And what are you going to do about it?”

Angela smiled slightly as her fingers curled around the chakram. “Plenty.”

Alanna barked the order and her men attacked. She watched as Absolution threw the chakram at the men around the boy and started in on the others that were rushing Alice and the other two troublesome things. It was disconcerting to find Absolution beating up on supposedly the best men money could buy.

Alanna watched until she turned and found the heads starting up their fight again. She gave a click with her tongue. At least they weren’t causing trouble for her. Besides she had one last weapon that would certainly bring down Absolution. Either way she would have the greatest weapon that ever existed. She looked to her man where she had him stationed and gave the signal. That would certainly be a surprise. She looked on in pleasure as her man aimed carefully.

****

Dean had no idea what was going on with all the rumbling and the thunder and lightning and he was sure that the other folks in the stands didn’t either. The earthquake had him grab Haley and pull her to the ground to protect her. He looked around as he saw others standing around wondering what was happening. Hell he thought that his ticket was coming early and he had to admit that he was scared even if he didn’t voice it. He held onto Haley and kept her head covered as he looked around to see if any debris was falling. He felt bad that he hadn’t grabbed Alice but he saw that some guy probably Sam’s age or younger grab her and shielded her.

The silence was what cued him that it was okay for him to look around. He saw Angela on her hands and knees and she looked like something had winded her. He thought that was the case since she was breathing heavily. At least she was okay in terms of being on her feet. He looked over at Sam and what he saw had him start to scramble.

Sam was on the ground where he had fallen from that punch. Man he wanted to deck that guy that did that. Yet Sam was not moving. He was unconscious as if something had clonked him on the head. That confused Dean slightly since he knew that Sam had been awake when he went down. He saw the pain on his brother’s face and now he was down and out.

Then he heard that Alanna bitch talking, taunting Angela. Angela was still on her hands and knees. It was then Dean sensed that something was off or wrong about her but he couldn’t put his finger on it. When Angela threw her chakram and started fighting, he knew something was up but he couldn’t stop to go and investigate.

More douche bags arrived and were going to try and apprehend everybody and probably do things to get Angela to comply but Dean knew she would rather put up a fight than give up. He would do the same. He had to get to Sam and pull him out of the way. He was on his feet and Haley was with him and he was surprised when she started on her witch thing. He was used to the throwing around but some of the things he was seeing were different.

Haley shot him a wry grin when she noticed the expression and said, “Juju.”

“Is that any different than your usual?”

“Not really but a little bit,” Haley countered. “Get to Sam,” she added knowing that he was concerned with Sam’s well being.

“You’ll be okay?”

Haley responded by zapping a guy that tried sneaking up behind Dean. She was going to say something afterwards but had been yanked out of the way and the guy behind her got a punch to the face by the stranger that protected Alice. She said, “Nice timing Aaron.”

Aaron gave a slight nod. Dean thought he was talking to a younger version of feather boy but the guy then said, “It seems that Absolution started a party.”

“That’s an understatement,” Dean replied as he looked in the direction of Sam. He frowned in worry when he didn’t see his brother on the ground. He looked around but saw nothing. _Damn Sam. Where are you?_ “Angie likes to make a statement.”

Suddenly Dean caught sight of something. It was someone in the shadows and he was aiming down. Dean followed the line of sight and found that the target was Angela. Sam was forgotten momentarily as Dean tried to rush forward but was prevented by guys taking swings at him. He managed to shout, “Angie!”

****

Sam had no idea what hit him. Well he did and he ended up winded on the ground. He had stood up when that Lady Davenport started saying things and was ready to fight even though his leg was sore. Then all of these guys dressed like Roman legionnaires came out pointing their weapons at people and no one moved. He was stuck there and he was listening to threats against him and Dean of Angela didn’t cooperate. Then the punch came.

Sam landed on the ground hard and he knew that he bumped his bad leg because it was throbbing. He couldn’t reach for it since he was winded and gasping for air. He was coherent enough to see one of the guys stand above him ready to stomp right on his leg. The next thing he knew, the guy was on the ground, apparently knocked out by something that hit him. Then there was lightning and the ground shook and Sam found himself knocked out.

He became aware of his surroundings but it was different and all too familiar. Sam knew what it was like to be possessed since Meg rode his ass before. He also knew that it shouldn’t happen since he and Dean both had gotten their anti possession tattoos after Bobby gave them the medallions. This was something else and his first instinct was to fight it.

_Don’t be afraid. I am not who you think I am._

Sam heard the voice in his head and even though he couldn’t control his limbs, he could see what was going on. He was still on the ground but he couldn’t make his limbs move. He made the equivalent of a growl in his head as he attempted to talk to whoever decided to ride his ass. _Alright fine. What are you doing riding my ass?_

_Interesting choice of vocabulary. Did she teach you that in addition to your skills?_

Sam knew he wasn’t going to move anytime soon but he couldn’t help but try. The thing was this thing inside with him was different from a demon. It annoyed the bloody hell out of him.

_Don’t struggle. I don’t intend to stay in long and I apologize for this._

The response from the visitor had Sam confused. It was apologizing to him for riding his ass? _You are apologizing?_

_It is the only way for me and my wife to manifest in your realm._

_Manifest?_

_I am Hapi, god of war and fertility and patron of the Nile._

Sam briefly wondered what it was about him that things decided that they had to use him. Yellow Eyes wanted him, Meg wanted to use and now an Egyptian god wanted to use him. It could be just the old Winchester luck. Still the only way he was going to be able to figure out what was going on and get his body back was to ask. _Okay so what do you want with me?_

_Absolution spoke the words to call for me and my wife. We have been watching and know that the spirit and rules are being violated. In order for us to appear so you could see us, we must pass through a vessel._

_Why me?_

_Traditionally it would have been the one chosen to be me. I’m sure you could figure out why I didn’t._

Sam did figure out that Theron must have something that didn’t appeal to the god. Right now he wanted to figure out how he could get the god out of him and he could have use of his limbs again. _Yeah I figured. So what now? How long do you plan on riding my ass?_

_Not much longer but I see that my wife is having too much fun with Absolution._

_You mean another one of you is riding Angie’s ass?_

_Calm down. It was Absolution who called us and believe me when I say this, she really didn’t want to but she weighed her options carefully and it has to do with how much she cares about you and your brother._

Sam did calm down as he found his body moving but he wasn’t in control. The god was moving his body and he could get a good view of Angela fighting against seven or eight guys. He could picture her doing that but he could tell something was different. Some of the movements were different and not her usual level of grace. _Your wife? In Angie?_

_And having too much of a good time. They are alike._

Sam watched as his body moved to reach for something flying at him. His hand grabbed it and he could see it was the chakram. He just caught the thing? Well rather the god controlling his body did. _Did you just catch this?_

_God of war, Sam. Now I just need a catalyst to jump us both out. Unfortunately both Absolution and Satet are so alike when it comes to battle that sometimes they forget the purpose though that is more Satet’s doing._

Sam felt like he was watching television or something as his head moved around. He had no idea what the god was talking about but he got the general feeling that the god in Angela was having too much fun and probably Angela was riding the god’s battle high… if it could be called that. So apparently the god in him needed to give a little hand. Even though he couldn’t control his body, he could still watch. As the god moved his body, he spotted a shadow. _Hey at ten o’clock. In the shadows._

_What a low down trick! We have to stop it. That arrow won’t kill Satet but it can kill Absolution._

Sam, if it were possible, would have charged immediately to grab Angela. This was too much like when she would have been poisoned by that dart in Tennessee. Of course if he tried to take the hit she would kick his ass for it. He didn’t forget the last time. _Then do something! You’re the one controlling my body!_

When the god didn’t respond, Sam thought he was either chickening out or he managed to actually smoke out of his body. He tried moving but found that he couldn’t. All he felt was his own sense of urgency to get to her before something bad happened.

_You’re going to do something and I am going to watch. Just listen to me and you’ll be fine._

_Don’t ask me to do crazy acrobatic shit._

_If you are referring to your leg, that has been taken care of. All you are going to do is throw the chakram. I will give you the know-how and it will be all you. It will be just what is needed to get Satet out and Absolution back to normal._

Sam had little to no choice. He had no idea if it was going to work but he was willing to work with it. He gave the go ahead and he felt this bust of knowledge of how to hold the thing and how to throw it as well as calculating angles. That part was easy since he could hustle pool like there was no tomorrow. At that time the guy fired the arrow. Sam needed little encouragement and threw the chakram.

It felt nice to be in control of his limbs again and he watched as it flew ricocheting off the wall, hitting the guy and coming around towards the flying arrow where it sliced it in half. That halted everything and Sam saw Angela turn to look at him. At first he caught a glimpse of the real Angela but it was a ripple as the goddess filtered through.

_Say the words that I tell you and we’ll be set free._

Sam did a mental shrug and said what the god in his head was saying. He made sure to turn his body so that it addressed who it was supposed to be addressing and he was standing next to Angela. He said, “As was said, you violated the sanctity of the tournament. Prepare to be judged.”

Sam then felt something rush out of him. It felt like when Meg smoked out of him but it was less harsh. Instead of smoke, there was light surrounding him and Angela. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced to see a stern face with dark hair and eyes. He was dressed in some tunic or something and he was staring at Lady Davenport. Sam looked to his left and saw a woman standing next to Angela who looked like she was in withdrawal from a high and he grew concerned.

The god then spoke, “This violation will not be taken lightly. Since you aim to fight for what you want, this will be settled as it has always been. In a combat of souls. Choose your champion to face Absolution.”


	23. Chapter 23

The room was silent. The warrior stood facing his opponent. His black eyes glittered with pleasure and hatred. His hands were curled into fists and he could hear the crinkle of the leather in his gloves/gauntlets. He stood tall and proud in his warrior dress; the same armor that his family had worn for generations and he wore it proudly. The shoulder guards carried the standard of the family and sweeping across the back was a short cape made of wolf fur. It was perfect for his name.

_Choose your champion to face Absolution._

He had held his breath. At first he thought the old has been was going to accept. Hell he did everything he had been ordered to do but in the end, he refused.

_To save what little honor I have left, I decline._

_Very well. Lykos will be the champion._

It was wish he had harbored since he first learned about her fighting ability. He always wanted to go up against her. He accepted and he was even gracious enough to let her decide the conditions. He suspected and guessed correctly as to the conditions of the bout. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Now he would show her what she had to gain and lose.

It had been easy to get to his starting point. Of course he had to show off and used a couple of the lackeys that he had been forced to work with. He didn’t forget the weapons that he had been saving for this. He knew she would remember them when he decided to bring them out.

He took a slight running start and leapt onto the shoulders of two of his lackeys and flipped forward to land on the point he wanted to start at. He didn’t care about the lackeys and they were tough and could handle the weight of a man. He turned to look at her and watched as the boy held his hands for her foot. The boy catapulted her forward and she landed with precision. This was going to be fun.

Angela looked up at Lykos after he had leapt up to where the final battle was going to take place. She had some apprehensions but it was the normal kind. Some would even say that it was smart to have them since only the fool believes that he is not afraid. It was tempered when she felt the rush of Satet enter her. She hadn’t forgotten what that felt like nor did she forget the battle high that the goddess exhibited; it matched hers and it was a turbo charge. Of course the goddess had too much fun and was having a hard time getting out. Part of it was that Angela didn’t want her to leave since she wanted to get back for the attempt on Sam.

Strange thing was that it was Sam, not Hapi, who saved her from the arrow. She saw it when she saw that it was Sam that caught and threw her chakram. She could tell the goddess saw that and she was able to leave and manifest. Now the battle was done; just like it had been done in Greece and this time she was facing the one from the side that she once fought with.

_Choose the conditions._

She had chosen all right. One on one combat was a given. She added the challenge of fighting on the scaffolds. Any weapons she offered in generosity. The first one to touch the ground loses and that implied a lot. She knew that Sam got that implication since she heard the slight hitch in his breath. She made the bed and now it was time to sleep in it.

“Angie.”

Angela looked at Sam and she could see it in his eyes. He was asking her if she really had to do this. She gave a nod as she gave his shoulder a pat. She left it there as he wordlessly handed her the chakram and she put it on her belt. It surprised her when he first did the gesture again and then offered a lift up by folding his hands to allow her to step on it. She took it and he launched her into the air and she followed through to land on the scaffold opposite of Lykos.

She said nothing but took a breath as she stood in the same gear she wore then. It certainly warranted one of Dean’s Amazon comments but it was hers. She wore a formfitting tank top that was leather. Pants that worked well with the leather and her knee high boots complemented the modesty that she was adamant about. Her belt was cinched around her waist bearing the scroll work that was on the shoulder guards attached to her top and the arm bands that wrapped around her upper arms. She wore gauntlets with the same scroll work on her wrists and didn’t interfere with the fact that she still wore the bracelet Haley gave her. Absolution was mounted in the sheath on her back and her chakram was attached to her belt. Her hair normally would have been wound up in a knot or something but she wore it down. The only thing holding it back was the braid that acted like a headband. The last thing was her crimson scarf with her symbol on it and it hung like a cape. The crimson contrasted nicely with the black leather and worked with the golden brown scroll work. She was the warrior princess as Hakim called her though she didn’t think so.

Now that she was up on the scaffold, she stood there much like how Sam did in his match with Lykos. She was ready to move as needed but she didn’t raise her hands or anything. She just looked at Lykos and waited to hear instructions. She did manage to cast a glance at the crowd that had gathered and caught sight of Sam and Dean with Haley, Alice Davenport and Haley’s Nephilim bodyguard. Bobby was there also and she wondered how he managed to make it down to the floor.

Satet and Hapi were with the heads where they banished the soldiers and kept a firm grip on Alanna Davenport. The other head did nothing but she thought that she spotted a glimpse of relief from Lwazi. Over what, she didn’t have a clue and at that point it didn’t matter and she really didn’t want to know. African juju was in a class all by itself. What was surprising was that Wosret was not with her parents. Rather she was standing with Jason who managed to avoid getting a beating and was looking on with a stern look of worry.

Satet said, “The conditions have been set. It will be a fight to the end. The first to touch the ground loses as per the law of the tournament.” She then held her hands in a raised position and then gave a resounding clap with her hands.

That was the signal to get into position. Angela gracefully swung her arms upwards as she would when she practiced kata. Her right foot made a sweeping motion as she swept it behind her into the stance she wanted. She manipulated her hands into the points that were familiar and appropriate to the stance she wanted. She turned her head towards Lykos and schooled her features into a grim expression that hid what she thought she had forgotten.

Lykos was looking at her with a murderous gleam. Angela knew he never had forgiven her for rejecting him. She didn’t realize how deep his worship of her went when she agreed to be his family’s champion. His attentions at the feast afterwards were treated with politeness but it didn’t stop there. She refused to say anything to the family but brought her concerns to his brother Lycan. At first that gentle man didn’t believe her but when he caught Lykos first going after her and then Lilah, well that changed things.

Angela watched as he assumed a position she recognized the style that accompanied it. Lycan had taught it to her. She had chosen her style well. The thing was it could get messy. This was not like the tournament fights that Sam had gone through. She knew that though since she had done this before. Her only regret was that Sam, Dean and Bobby had to see this. Dean had seen her kill and fight without mercy but that didn’t mean that made it any better. Well the die was cast.

Angela narrowed her eyes and became still. She was so still that she could have passed for a statue. She stilled her breathing to flow while she moved but with the least amount of toll on the lungs. It was a technique she used once before when she had been buried alive in a coffin. She looked at Lykos and listened when suddenly the order to fight was barked in ancient Egyptian by Satet.

It was lightning quick when Lykos launched himself forward. She was equally fast to counter by blocking his strikes. She kept her palms open but Lykos preferred his fists. Both of them were capable of delivering painful blows. She knew hers hurt Lykos by his grunts just as he knew his hurt hers by her grunts. She wasn’t backing down though. Her lightning quick strikes hit Lykos on the chest until he gave her a hard backhand.

Angela spun around from the force of the blow. She was aware that she was in a compromising position by having her back towards Lykos. It gave him the opportunity and he took it. She felt his arms close around her in a chokehold. She let him have it and brought her leg up as if she was going to do a full split and clobbered him in the face with her knee. He released her and she whipped around and gave a quick strike that pushed him back.

****

Sam watched from where he had rooted himself after the two gods disappeared and then reappeared to grab the bitch that started all this. He had listened to the conditions that Angela set after the Davenport bitch named Lykos her champion. Angela didn’t have to say it out loud. He knew because he read the books. He only said her name but couldn’t find any words that fit what he wanted to say.

Angela understood though and gave a shoulder pat. He couldn’t help it but do that gesture he learned again and then offered her a lift up. It was the least he could do and he watched as she landed on the scaffold. Now she was fighting the bastard and he could tell that the blows she gave were making themselves be known. He flinched when Lykos gave her a backhand and she spun around.

The choke hold was expected since it was an advantage. The retaliatory kick earned, “That’s my Angie.”

Sam turned to see Dean had made his way to him. “You okay Dean?”

“I’m fine. Just glad you’re not unconscious on the ground. What’s up with that?”

Sam was watching the fight and didn’t look at Dean as he replied, “Tell you later.”

At that moment Sam saw Angela and Lykos clash. Lykos delivered a maneuver that had Angela land hard on her back. She propped herself on her elbows and glared up at Lykos. Sam was concerned that she winded herself but it looked like she was pissed.

“Damn. At least she wasn’t knocked off,” Dean muttered.

“I don’t think it will be that simple with Lykos,” Haley entered.

“It won’t,” Lycan said as he appeared with Jason and Wosret. “He will want to torment her. He likes to draw out pain to the last possible moment. He will take this to full advantage.”

“Angie won’t allow it,” Dean replied, “She’s not the kind to go down without a fight. Right, Sam?”

Sam wasn’t listening. He was watching Angela and her reaction. She was pissed sure but it looked like that she was enjoying the prospect of continuing the fight. At first he thought it was the goddess that was riding her meat but there was something else.

****

“How about we take this to the next level my sweet?” Lykos asked Angela as he stared at her on the ground. He had managed to whip out his dagger and axe that had been strapped to his back. He used the axe to trip her up and he now had her on her back. He could easily end it but the bout was that it wouldn’t end until the first person hit the dirt first. He would stick to that and he was using a blade that would add to the challenge.

Angela gave a look that was a cross between a glare and that battle high. She hadn’t forgotten that feeling as much as she liked to try to convince herself of that. She listened to Lykos’ words and she reacted. With a growl she put her palms on the floor of the scaffold and flipped forward while pulling out Absolution and she twirled it to get it into position.

Lykos responded by twirling his blades. He knew she would even out the odds. If one went to weapons then she would go to weapons. It was all part and parcel of her thing about playing fair. He twirled his blades and backed into a stance that made him appear intimidating but he made sure that she got a good look at his axe. He was sure that she would remember it.

He wasn’t wrong. Angela did remember that blade. She remembered because he had demonstrated it to her on an unsuspecting servant. It was the first of many acts that gave insight to his character while she stayed with his family. The axe blade was called ‘Snake’ because an injury from it stung like being bit by a snake. The other part was that it was a poisoned blade made from a concoction that contained snake venom. It was just another added challenge.

Angela waited until Lykos attacked. She wasn’t going to waste time exchanging words with him. She brought Absolution up and he was gleaming in her hand. She could feel his satisfaction as he clanged with ‘Snake’ and the dagger. She blocked and struck with Absolution and she felt the blows shimmy down her arms as she leapt side to side. Lykos was the kind to do sneak attacks with the double blades but he was slower with one. She had speed on her side.

She tricked Lykos into driving in for a kill stab and twirled. She anticipated the second strike from the axe. She brought up her free arm and her gauntlet blocked the blow. She then twisted Absolution and the dagger went flying out of Lykos’ hand and landed with a thud into the nearby wall. She had thoroughly angered Lykos at that point and she jumped back as he struck angrily with Snake. She blocked with Absolution and locked the blades and they wrestled with it. Lykos said, “You sure you want to try that my sweet?”

Angela just gave a battle smirk as she grabbed the bladed portion of Absolution and gave a hard twist. Snake went flying towards the crowd below and they parted to allow it to sink into the ground with a thud. Of course Lykos managed to grab her wrist so she reacted and twisted around to fling Lykos away while in the process giving him a knick of the blade.

Lykos was pissed that Angela tricked him into losing is dagger and he wanted to get her back. He started swinging Snake. He didn’t expect her to lock her blade with hers. When she flung it away, he tried to grab her and in particular her sword hand. It was unexpected when she flung him away but he went with it and went into flips towards a wall that had weapons mounted as decorations. They were old ones probably dating back to whenever. He landed on the outcropping that was underneath the mounting. He glanced at Angela with a smirk.

Angela had followed Lykos until he leapt off the scaffolding to land on the outcropping. The rules were that the first to hit the ground was the loser. She saw what was on the wall. Time for a change. She tossed Absolution into the air and did a spin kick. With a perfect dull clang, her boot made contact and sent the blade flying where it was caught in a reflexive reaction by Sam. She didn’t notice as she brought her foot down on one of the bindings of the scaffold and up came the pole as the bindings snapped and flipped into her waiting hands.

Lykos grinned as he yanked the bladed staff weapon off the wall and flipped back over onto the scaffold. He began twirling the weapon and came forward just as Angela did. He knew she was good with the staff and after she left he practiced. He actually liked the dull clacking of the wood and he had an advantage with the blades at the end.

They exchanged blows and he could see some welts on her arms where he struck. His chance came when he noticed the other poles coming loose. He took a chance and slammed an end on the wood. The rest of the poles started to roll and fall away. It was amusing to watch as he pushed her back and she started rolling on the loose poles. “Not very smart my sweet,” he commented.

“Just another challenge Lykos,” Angela replied as she balanced herself. She would have to trust her footing and her ability to sense when her balance was thrown off. She steadied herself as she cast furtive glances for a better position. She caught sight of the broken pillars that had been left to signify past battles though more likely they had been broken from past tournaments. That was her play.

Angela concentrated and let the familiar feel of the staff fill her hands. It was the first weapon she had trained in. Even though Lykos practiced after their last time, she still had a few tricks up her sleeves. She started moving as Lykos struck at her. She felt her temper rise when he got a strike through and got her across the temple. She kept it in check as she gave war rage cry and struck back stunning Lykos.

Lykos decided not to take that. With his weapon, he struck the poles and grinned as Angela fell through the flooring of the scaffold. She headed for the ground amidst the gasps from everyone.

****

Dean felt himself gasp when Angela fell through the flooring. He thought she was going to lose. He didn’t need to be a genius to know what that meant. He wanted nothing more than to stop it but she made the choice. _Damn Angie don’t you leave us again._

He watched his brother who was watching the fight intently and with a worried expression on his face. Dean would have laughed at any other time but with her life on the line, it was a different story. He watched Angela fall and almost shut his eyes, not wanting to watch but he kept them open.

She didn’t fall. Rather Angela had angled her staff so that it would catch the other poles at a perpendicular angle. Dean managed to breathe a short sigh of relief that she didn’t fall but it wasn’t over yet. That Lykos douche was grinning and it looked like he was going in for the kill. It was tempting to shout a warning but it was unnecessary.

Dean couldn’t help but smirk when Angela flipped like one of those gymnasts and gave a good kick to Lykos that sent him on his back. She continued to gain momentum like a gymnast and then flipped forward. At first he though she was being stupid until she landed on a broken pillar. He then saw her staff fly to her open hand just as Lykos jumped over towards her and swung. “Nice move Angie,” Dean muttered.

“Come on, Angie,” Sam muttered.

Dean looked from his brother to Angela who blocked. He then saw a look in her eyes. He recognized that look since he had seen it once before and that was when Sam had been poisoned. She was going in for the kill. He knew then that she had manipulated the situation to fit her goal.

Dean watched as Angela smacked Lykos’ weapon and knocked it away. She then gave her war cry as she dug her staff in and vaulted herself forward. She positioned her body in a side kick and connected with Lykos’ chest. It was enough to knock Lykos off balance and he fell back and landed hard on the ground. She followed through and landed on his chest, her weight enough to keep him down for the count.

It took a full minute for Dean and, judging from the expression, Sam to realize that Angela had won. When it finally registered, Dean said, “Sam, she won. She won.”

Angela was saying, “The rules were that the first to touch the ground would lose. _I_ haven’t touched the ground… but you did.”

****

Satet watched the fight feeling the familiar battle high rise again. In her mind Absolution had improved since the last time. She knew the girl was one who fought from a defensive strategy. She gauged the attack and adjusted accordingly. It was thrilling to watch and she hoped that Absolution would win secretly. It was a personal bias but she and Hapi would uphold the conditions.

She had to admit that it was breathtaking when Lykos first knock her down. She heard Alanna mutter, “That is how one fights.”

Satet ignored the girl. Hapi was holding her which was a good thing since she probably would have done something she would have regretted. The fight continued and she was surprised when Absolution went on the offensive. It took a full minute Satet thought for everyone in the room to realize that she had just won the match.

“Gods be praised for Absolution,” Lwazi muttered.

Satet glanced at the elderly head. He was standing with Hakim and Yi Xiang. The three of them had stood up and they managed to sway the other two and help reveal a great deception. She then looked at Absolution who said, “The rules were that the first to touch the ground would lose. _I_ haven’t touched the ground… but you did.”

Satet looked at Hapi who nodded. She then said, “It is done. Absolution has won. The consequences will be carried out and the treachery will righted.”

There were murmurs from the crowd. They had never seen the tournament of the old days but they had heard of it. It was still a shock that the patron gods had made themselves known. They started talking about it.

“Wait!”

Satet turned to look at Absolution who had spoken. She had finally stepped off of Lykos and approached the two gods. She stood respectfully before them. Satet looked down and asked, “What is it that you ask for champion?”

Absolution looked up at them. She seemed to look like she was breathing heavily and almost sad but she stood firm and spoke equally firm and with respect. She replied, “Though the terms have been set and agreed to, I ask the patrons of this tournament to uphold the champion’s reward.”

Satet glanced at Hapi. She had an inkling of what Absolution was going to ask for. It was something she would do which was why she looked at Hapi. Part of the law of the tournament was that it had to be a unanimous decision on any concessions made after the terms have been set. She could tell that Hapi wanted to punish the ones who resorted to treachery but he had to learn that not all punishments had to be the violent kind.

Hapi knew that his wife was looking at him. He looked at her and she looked at him with that look. He took his time though as he glanced at the guilty parties. He then looked at Absolution. He knew that Absolution was one to try to be fair in her dealings in everything. Perhaps she did have a solution that he was not seeing. He glanced at his wife and gave a nod.

Satet was glad to see the nod of approval. She looked down at Absolution and said, “Your request has been considered. What does the champion wish as reward?”

“That the punishment for those under treachery be allowed to live. Alanna Davenport is removed from the family completely and Alice Davenport is restored to her rightful position as head of the Davenport family. Lykos is to live in disgrace and stripped of honor. The soldiers be allowed to go free,” Absolution replied.

“Why let the soldiers go?”

“They were following orders under the impression that Alanna Davenport was the true head of the family.”

“And allowing the ones to commit treachery to live?”

“Living in disgrace will be punishment enough but if you think something else is worthy other than death, I will accept that.”

Satet glanced at Hapi. They would agree to let them live but they will work off the treachery. Satet made a clapping motion and four guards appeared. Two took Lykos and two took Alanna Davenport. She looked at Absolution and then out at the crowd and said, “Judgment has been cast. The request of the champion will be uphold and those held responsible will be dealt with. This tournament is ended.”


	24. Chapter 24

“So Sam, what was it like having a god ride your ass?” Dean couldn’t help but tease his brother about the fact that he had been possessed twice already. They were seated at their table for the actual festival that was being held to honor the gods Satet and Hapi, who decided to remain, as well as present the winner of the tournament.

It was actually a surprise when the gods requested that they bestow the honor. Hakim agreed to it and it surprised Dean when they asked Angela to stand with them to bestow honor. He watched as they said something about Sam showing the highest ideals of honor and all that crap. Angela stood there giving Sam a slight smile of encouragement.

Dean could see that as far as Angela was concerned, it was Sam’s day. She only did what she had to in order to keep the peace around. Hell he wished that she would have been able to enjoy it more but he could guess that she was happy. He watched as the gods spoke to her after Sam came back and Satet gave her a kiss on the forehead. He figured it was a personal thing and had turned his attention to Sam who was looking surprised that things went pretty well for a case that just fell in their lap. He asked Sam how his day went and Sam filled him in on the god possession.

Sam replied, “Much like a demon except he was more interactive.”

“So what was it like watching him use you to throw Angie’s chakram?”

“Actually, I did that.”

“Don’t mess with me Sam. From what I read, it takes extensive training to be able to throw it decently,” Dean replied not quite sure if Sam was messing with his head or not.

“Dean’s right, Sam,” Bobby added. “It takes a lot so ya don’t knick yourself with it.”

Sam looked at Bobby and Dean. He figured they wouldn’t believe him and hell he wasn’t even sure if that was real at times. He did know though that he was in control of his body and he felt the cool feel of the chakram that was now hanging on Angela’s belt. He replied, “It was me. The god Hapi just gave me the know-how.” 

“Just like he fixed your leg?” Dean asked with a raised brow. So far this trip had proven to be something of a mixed adventure. It was a nice diversion from Angela doing her thing about finding a way to break his deal and it took Sam’s mind off of it too but it opened the door for stupid and it walked in when he found out that Sam fought with a bum leg. He added, “Which reminds me, what were you thinking of when you decided to fight and risk permanently injuring yourself?”

“I kind of would like to know that myself,” Bobby added. He hadn’t been able to see the exchange between Angela and Sam but he caught the gist watching her watch Sam and Sam moving like an old man.

Sam knew that Dean and Bobby were going to bite on this and not let go. He sighed and replied, “It was something I had to do.”

Dean gave a slight raise of his brow. He could sense that there was something more to the response than what Sam was giving. “Right. Well at least nothing bad happened with that. I always knew you could kick ass and now you just proved it in front of a nice crowd.” He took a sip of the beer that he had gotten from the buffet.

“It wasn’t about that, Dean,” Sam replied as he looked at the plate that had been placed in front of him and the hand that put it down.

“No it wasn’t and before either of you start on me, it was Sam’s choice and it took considerable effort to convince me,” Angela replied as she sat down next to Sam with her own plate and mug of mead. “Believe me, I was tough with it.” She glanced at Sam and gave a slight wink.

Sam noticed it and realized that she was taking attention away from it and she had her reason for it. It worked because Dean started teasing her, “So the warrior princess decides to join us.”

Angela gave a slight chuckle and replied, “Don’t use that too often Dean. You know I can knock you out with just my pinky.” She held up her pinky to tease Dean. She smiled as she took a sip of the mead and relished the heady feeling it gave her.

“Don’t I know it,” Dean replied with a grin. He took in Angela’s appearance and could make out the faint bruises on her arms and one on her left temple. They looked painful and he was sure that Sam noticed them too but was being too much a gentleman to notice or he didn’t notice them. “So can’t I at least comment on your choice in clothes?”

“Oh ho and where is the shy school boy who couldn’t even look me in the eye?” Angela hid her smirk behind another pull of the mead.

“Easy there princess. You know that stuff can go to a person’s head,” Theodor came up with his own tankard. He gave a hard slap on Angela’s shoulder as he laughed at his own joke. He then looked at Sam and said, “Nice work, Winchester.”

Sam picked up on what was going on and asked, “You’re drinking mead, Angie?”

“I need a little kick,” Angela replied. She looked at Sam and at the expression on his face she added, “I can handle it. Trust me.”

Theodor added, “Oh yeah she can. I once saw her drink my brother Fergus under the table with mead. I think it was twenty tankards in before he passed out and she was standing on the table singing some bar tune.”

Dean felt like his Christmases had come all at once. “Really?”

Sam caught the look on his brother’s face and replied, “Dean.”

“No it’s all right, Sam,” Angela replied, “That was one of my finest moments since I discovered I had a head for this.” She raised her tankard. “Besides, it’s been a while since I indulged.”

“So we’ll get a chance for a performance?” Dean gave his most charming smile.

“You get one every morning.”

Theodor laughed as he downed his tankard. “Still the same warrior princess. You really did bring back the spirit of things. Well you and your friends here.” He took off laughing leaving the group at their table.

Angela watched as she put a grape in her mouth. She laughed when he tried to flirt with one of the female warriors and said, “There goes another flirt. Reminds me of one of my hunters.” She glanced at Dean and gave him a knowing look. “Maybe he needs a lesson in finding his way to a halfway decent pickup line?”

Sam snorted as he took a drink of the beer he had. He hid it as best as he could. He looked at his brother and then added, “Maybe he knows the way to a decent pickup line?”

“Shut up, Sam,” Dean scowled as he hid behind his beer. He couldn’t help but smile. Even when she was under the influence Angela never failed to get back at him.

“I see some making merry is going on here,” Haley’s voice entered. She was joined with Jason and Alice. “Mind if we join in?”

Dean smirked at Haley, “I’m all for some company.”

“Easy there, Ace,” Haley replied as she slid next to Dean on the bench seat. She whispered something into Dean’s ear that had him blush for a moment.

Angela watched with amusement. She motioned for Jason and Alice to sit and said, “It is no trouble and an honor Lady Davenport.”

Alice sat next to Bobby and said, “Actually it is an honor for me. Your friends found me and you prevented disaster from occurring. Mostly I want to thank you Angela for sparing my sister. I know the laws well and what you did… Just thank you.”

Angela looked at the head of the Davenport family. She knew that she had an audience watching. Bobby asked her, “Why did ya do it?”

Angela looked at the others. She then lighted her eyes on Sam who was studying her. In fact he was the only one who seemed to understand. He learned quite a bit these past few days. She replied, “Well Bobby, there was one thing that I learned a long time ago. I learned that it is easy to kill someone even if they deserve it but to let that person live like I did especially if they have no forgiveness in their hearts, living is a worse punishment than death.” She studied everyone’s faces and took a pull of her mead.

“So really it was a mercy?” Dean asked the question.

“Yes,” Angela replied looking at Dean, “Besides there is always a chance that they could learn that what they did is wrong and make amends.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath with Alanna,” Alice replied, “But I hope she realizes you gave her a chance.”

“It’s all I can hope for. It’s what I try to do.”

“You do it real good,” Sam whispered into Angela’s ear. He and Dean had traveled with her quite a bit and had seen what she could do. She was a good person as he had told her before and he did again, “And it’s you.”

Angela couldn’t help but give a slight smile. Sam firmly believed that she was a good person. Even Dean hinted as much and Bobby indulged her like a father does a daughter. It was always a warm feeling to hear something like that come honestly.

Jason noticed Angela’s expression and could tell that whatever Sam said cheered her immensely. He would regret taking that cheer from her but he was given a chance and he was going to take it. He had his own happiness waiting. Still he could enjoy a couple of more hours with a warrior and a very good friend. He said, “Well in the end that is a mark of honor. Cheers for the champion Sam and the warrior princess, Angela.”

****

Hakim sat with the other heads next to the gods who decided to stay. He expected them to leave after the sentence had been passed but Satet requested to stay. He accepted and the other heads agreed. The festival was to begin that evening and all were invited. Traditionally the gods blessed the flooding at the tournament in Zahir’s territory but this year they decided to bless it from here. At first Hakim had no clue as to why but he saw the gods talk to the girl who helped Angela. After watching them converse, he had a good idea of that relationship.

Right now he was watching Angela converse with her companions at their table. His mentor and friend had done much to save the tournament and even though her companions didn’t have to, they helped. Hakim could tell though that it wasn’t for the tournament but for her. Father had been right when he told him that she was a true leader but never for power. Hakim could see the affection the three men had for her, each different but it was there.

“Your father would have been proud.”

Hakim turned to see the goddess looking at him. He quickly averted his eyes in respect. He replied, “Father was better and could have done better. I learned much from him but not all.”

“What is learned is done within a lifetime,” Satet replied. She turned to look around. She saw Absolution with her companions and they were smiling over something. Off in a corner she saw Gabriel watching the festivities. She knew people couldn’t see the archangel unless he wanted them to. She turned to see the boy head watching Absolution with her companions. He was a good boy. She added, “I see that you believe as your father did.”

“Father taught me about our duty but I have to owe the teaching of honor to Angela,” Hakim beckoned with his head. “She taught me much and it has been a source of inspiration this whole time. Though I was impressed with your daughter’s performance.” He glanced at the goddess and gave a slight grin.

Satet returned the expression with a slight smirk. The boy was clever but she knew a few things too. She replied, “Well that is much coming from the one who once called his mentor by the name of my daughter.”

Hakim couldn’t help but blush but he also stammered since he had heard of Satet’s reputation as the warrior goddess. He replied, “It was only because I had been studying the nature of the tournament. I saw her in a sparring session with one of father’s best men and I assumed quite a bit.”

Satet couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t fear me, Hakim. I know that you meant no harm. Many have thought quite a bit of Absolution and are drawn by both her beauty and skill though I think more draws her companions.”

Hakim began to realize that the goddess was teasing him. He looked up and saw her smirking. He replied, “I see. Know this my lady that the identity of your daughter remains safe with me.”

“I know that will be so. Your family has done its best to keep its honor and has proven trustworthy. We watch and we see. Don’t worry, another year has been blessed and the floods have begun.” Satet gave a gentle pat to Hakim’s face. She knew that he was troubled by one thing and he had to live with it ever since he took over as head of his family. Maybe she should tell him. She added, “The guilty party was brought to justice a long time ago and by a very old friend.”

Hakim didn’t look at the goddess as she said that. He had wondered about what happened to the one who killed his father. It was never proven who did it and why and it bothered Hakim. His mother technically was supposed to be head but she abdicated. He knew the reason too. It was because of his father dying. His parents were a team though his father always said that it was his mother who was the driving force behind everything.

Hakim didn’t look at the goddess but at the other tables and he lighted on Angela. She was laughing at something that Jason was saying and then looked back at the goddess. He had an idea who it was that brought justice to his father’s murder. He didn’t need to know though. He replied, “Thank you for telling me that justice has been done.”

Satet smiled as she excused herself. She walked over to where Hapi was talking with Wosret. She smiled at her daughter as she placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at Hapi. “It seems that another year begins anew.”

“I agree, love,” Hapi replied.

“And you did well daughter. It seems though that our mutual friend wasn’t too persuasive,” Satet gave a wink towards Wosret.

The young goddess gave a slight smile and replied, “He made his case Mother. I made the choice and I wanted to meet Absolution. I think I understand why he is the way he is.” Wosret looked over at Absolution’s table. She then added, “Absolution is what she is and that is what makes her worthy of the friends she has.”

Satet and Hapi smiled and nodded. Their daughter was perceptive. Perhaps it would do her well to spend more time amongst the mortals. They continued to mingle in with the festivities until late in the night when it died down and people went to sleep satisfied that another year began for prosperity.

****

It was a nice night walking the main balcony that overlooked the desert. Angela leaned on the rail and took in the sight and breathed in the night air. She rotated her shoulders slightly taking in the soothing power of her wild yam and gave a slight grin. Sam waited until they were back in their quarters before attacking her with the jar. She indulged since she was still sore and it would help with the healing bruises. Dean certainly got entertainment out of it.

Now she was enjoying the late night, and clearing her head from all the mead she had drunk. Bobby made it clear that she was taking her turn driving back to Sioux Falls drunk or no. So staying up and relaxing kind of helped plus the coffee that she managed to persuade a servant to bring her. At least Bobby wouldn’t make her drive after a late night but she would take her turn since this trip hardly was the vacation it was supposed to be.

Looking at the landscape, she thought about the tournament and what had occurred. She felt regret that she had to fight Lykos but she thought that she had done right by him even though it was easier to just let him be killed for his treachery. Lycan appreciated her sparing his brother and he told her, “I know it must have been hard for you and I wouldn’t blame you if you let them carry out sentence. I thought though that you should know that by sparing Lykos, you’ve shown everyone the true meaning of honor.”

Angela had replied, “Maybe so. I spared him because of you mostly old friend. He is your brother and I am sorry that I drove a wedge between you two.”

Angela recalled the look on Lycan’s face as she took a sip of coffee. What happened then between Lykos and Lycan was one of the reasons why she tried to keep her distance with the boys in terms of getting too close. She had always thought it was her fault for that and it carried on to the next set of siblings. At least she didn’t pit one brother against the other… at least she hoped she didn’t. “Noise and confusion,” she muttered.

“An interesting description I think.”

Angela turned around and saw Cary there. She could see him shake a little as she turned to look at him full on. Apparently she left a lasting mark on the worm but he was getting better at controlling it. She replied, “Why am I not surprised to see you here Cary? I gave up hearing back from you after I sent you off the last time.”

“Do you really think that I was going to give up everything right then and there? How stupid do you think I am?”

Angela leaned against the banister and gave a slight smirk. “Not stupid. A coward maybe but not stupid. I figured that you were going to run back to your boss or hide out for a while and pretend to do something so it would keep me off your back.”

“You think you’re so smart don’t you?”

“I have my moments Cary but I also learned how to read people and trust my instincts,” Angela replied as she finished the rest of her coffee. She then stood up and crossed her arms to get down to business. “So why don’t you tell me what you are doing here and what was the point of your little message to Dean?

“Are you sure your human pets aren’t going to go up in arms for you talking to a demon?” Cary taunted her back.

“We’re hardly purists in that matter,” Angela replied. “So give.”

Cary grumbled. As usual she wasn’t going to say anything unless she knew what she was walking into. He might as well get on with what he was doing there. He replied, “The boss has heard about you and your interest in seeing him.”

“I take it he wants to see me?”

“Whatever you want but he has expressed interest in meeting you. Now,” Cary replied. He started down the hall confident that Angela would follow.

Angela knew that it was probably a bad idea to go in alone but she still had Absolution and her chakram.  Neutrality was also still in place and she had to owe some type of thanks to the demon for sending the worm to find Dean. That could mean something entirely to the demon though and she had to be ready for it. She followed Cary without saying anything.

She was lead into a chamber that she recognized as one of the more elaborate guest quarters. She knew because she used to stay in them herself when she was a guest under Hakim’s father. At least he was at peace and justice had been served. She took to exploring the room and noted the taste in decoration that fit the rest of the place. The personal items though held her interest.

Looking around, she found some rather expensive wine as well as a few other ends. She suspected that this king of the crossroads was one with a sophisticated palate. In her mind that meant she had to be doubly on alert. The ones who appreciated the sophistication of wine and the like usually were the meticulous types in planning for whatever they planned to do. She had that much experience from Lenya and Azazel even though they tended to be heavy handed on brutality.

At one point she came across something silver gleaming lying on a pillow cushion. She was drawn to it and went over to inspect it. She didn’t expect it to be something familiar but it put into perspective recent events. She reached out to touch the gleaming sigils.

“I see you’ve figured it out that I was the one who hired Bela to get Absolution.”

Angela took back her hand and took a breath. She slowly turned around to face the demon. He was not what she expected and yet everything she anticipated. She could tell why he was considered the king of the crossroads just by looking at him. She replied, “I kind of figured that it was someone with eccentric tastes and very rich. That is Bela’s usual type of clientele though I think she had no idea who you were now did she? Of course she knew about Lenya.”

Crowley stood looking at her and appreciated the well toned body and musculature as well as the beauty. He had seen her in action against the little shit Lykos and was rather surprised at her asking for mercy. He had heard the stories too. He replied, “As far as the little human dealing devil goes, she did what I wanted her to do though I didn’t quite expect the end results.”

Angela couldn’t help it and picked up the piping etched with the sigils. She held it like she would a sword and held it up to view with appreciation at the handiwork. She replied, “I suppose you didn’t but then again you knew that I wouldn’t part with it so easily.”

“I figured you to be the intelligent type. I was impressed that you took a piece of junk and turned it into a weapon,” Crowley replied in appreciation. “However I am curious how you were able to do it. My sources saw that you had help and from an unlikely sort.”

“Often happens in my line of work.”

“Even if it is from someone that you would otherwise send straight to hell?” Crowley asked the question in a challenge form. He wanted to see her response.

“As I told Cary, I’m hardly a purist. Maybe I have been at the job far to long since I risk quite a bit dealing with sorts like you,” Angela replied as she walked forward. She handed the piping back to Crowley after looking him in the eye for a moment. “So what is it that you want to see me about? I do have to sleep since I am leaving in the morning.”

Crowley was rather impressed with Absolution. She could have easily killed him but she didn’t. Perhaps an arrangement could be worked out but then again the whole thing with Carla was something that he had to be careful to avoid. “Oh I believe you know what it is about love. You see it’s very hard to keep secret the fact that someone like yourself is looking for me. The reasons vary as gossip does tend to do but you get the picture.”

Angela didn’t look at the demon. She didn’t feel threatened and maybe she was walking into something bigger than she could handle but she still had to navigate the waters. She replied, “And you know they say that gossip is poison.”

Crowley knew it was time to hook the line. “True but when those rumor point to the fact that you want my help to break a deal, well let’s just say that it is too good a deal to pass up even if you claim not to want it anymore. I am here to deliver love.”

Angela paused. She could feel the demon close in behind her. It was a dark sickly feeling and she could only imagine how Dean felt when he kissed the hell bitch. She had already decided to go through official channels but now after everything, Crowley was hinting that he could help. She was in between a rock and a hard place now. She felt the demon’s hand on her shoulder and found that it wasn’t as distasteful as Lenya’s touch. It had her worried as she thought about what she was going to do. She made her decision and prayed that it wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass later on. Just as long as she kept in mind who this was for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that wraps up Warrior's Honor. You didn't see that one coming did ya? I want to thank all of you who have read this. Your support means a lot. Again feel free to leave a review or kudos and stay tuned for 2.05 'Trick'steen Candles.


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